ccording to biblical narrative, God created pure spirits known as Angels to worship him and share in his divine love forever in heaven. Out of pride and stupidity, Lucifer who was one of the most powerful angels of God revolted with his gang of fallen angels against God. Consequently war broke out in heaven. Archangel Michael commanded the faithful angels of God and fought Lucifer and the fallen angels. The dissident angels were defeated and were expelled eternally from heaven.

As a result of the defeat, Lucifer and the fallen angels somersaulted fatally into hell fire. It was a fatal fall from glory to everlasting shame. In that kingdom of darkness, Lucifer was crowned as Satan. All spiritual and human beings who belong to the cult of Satanism are known as devils and agents of darkness. Hell is their eternal abode; though they roar like lions on earth looking for those to devour. For this reason Saint Peter admonishes us to be calm and vigilant always (1 Peter 5:8 - 9).

Few years ago, when the land of Nigeria was still a bit level, I drove alone from Awka to Abuja. I wore my clerical suit. I stopped briefly at Lokoja to fill my bodily tank and the tank of my car. As I was sitting and was consuming a plate of delicious meal in a decent restaurant, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. I turned back emotionally to ascertain who did it, because the tapping reduced the power in me. Behold it was a middle-aged woman whose beauty showed she was created on Monday when the Creator had surplus time during his creative activities. She asked me to lend her N1000 to pay for her meal as she waited for her husband who went to ease himself. She promised to refund me there and then as soon as her man comes in. Without any doubt I obliged her as corporal work of mercy. She went straight to the food stand to make an order. Immediately my phone rang. My attention shifted to the phone call. As soon as I finished answering the call, I looked around to see where the woman was sitting and eating. She was nowhere to be found. Little did I know that a thief can be as beautiful as morning flower. Indeed the money I lent her somersaulted in a tinkle of an eye. However it was not fatal.

After balancing my stomach, I continued my journey to Abuja. On the way I came across a fatal accident involving a luxurious jeep. I learnt that the car owner and his wife who were sitting behind died on the spot. Their charred bodies were deposited in a nearby mortuary. The driver was said to be on excessive speed. He jumped into a big basin-hole, which made the jeep to somersault over and over. The four tyres stood up while the body of the jeep crashed downwards. The driver sustained first degree injury and was rushed to an undisclosed hospital. I cleared by the road side to watch the scenario. Blood was still flowing like flood. With giant tears dropping from my eyes I exclaimed, "What a fatal somersault!"

The horrible scene of the fatal somersault ceased my nerves such that my hands became still on the steering. The delicious food I ate at the restaurant at Lokoja somersaulted in my belly and was causing me nuisance in the digestive system. I felt like vomiting. With faith I drink a mouthful of Holy Water from its container and made a deep Sign of the Cross. Instantly the thunder in my belly ceased and my stiff hands loosed. I shouted, "Praise the Lord!" As no one was around to compliment, I chorused, "Alleluia!!! A-men!!!" Having regained my bodily equilibrium, I continued my journey. By God's grace I arrived at Abuja as daylight was bowing out. Indeed it is better to be late than the late.

It is not only vehicles that can suffer from fatal somersault. Some time ago, my cook was away for some days. Thank God that I learnt how to cook well when I was living with my grandmother. The two boys under my roof were novices in cooking. Thus I pulled off my clerical gown and entered the kitchen. I prepared a combined soup of egusi and ogbono. As it was boiling on fire, the aroma was angelic. The lumps of meat inside the soup were like stones in a cement concrete. I used vegetables to add nice colour to lots of ingredients therein. As the soup was steaming, I was inhaling the superlative aroma. When I perceived that it was done, I used my bare hands to put the soup pot down from the fire. The two handles of the pot were too hot to be held tight. Unfortunately, my hands slipped off. The aromatic soup pot somersaulted fatally into the wooden fire. It was fatal because the whole soup was gone. I sat down dejected for almost one hour. I was gazing at the fatal soup somersault like in a dream. In order not to lose everything, I searched for the lumps of meat and pieces of fish from the fire dust and rinsed them in water. My boys and I ate the rinsed fish and meat with a loaf of bread as lunch. Then we watered everything down the alimentary canal. Does the stomach disclose what it ate?

Now I arrive at the mother of all fatal somersaults. With tears in my eyes and venom in my heart, I put it to you that our country Nigeria is embedded in a fatal political somersault. Our democratic system is in shambles. The Executive Arm of our government has usurped the powers of the Legislature and the Judiciary. The last two arms have been turned into toothless bulldogs. The Judiciary as the last hope of the common man has fatally somersaulted. The common man is now wandering about the streets without hope of being rescued. Justice suffered a fatal somersault at the Supreme Court on 26 October 2023. He collided face to face with technicalities at the revered chambers of the highest court of the land. It was a real miscarriage of justice. Miscarriage in pregnancy is mostly fatal. It is the same in Law. In normal parlance, we hear that justice delayed is justice denied. This time it is not only denial of justice but the burial of justice.

The preparation for the burial of justice began when the 25 February Presidential Election was rigged in favour of a preferred presidential candidate who is unjustly seating in Aso Rock. The chairman of the 'Dependent' Electoral Commission after declaring the Presidential Election result in the dark hours of the night asked the aggrieved presidential candidates to go to court. Of course it was a planned deal because the judiciary has been bought over by the powers that be. Going to court was just to buy time and waste money. The Presidential Election Tribunal pronounced that was written was written. The Supreme Court sealed the deal. There is no higher court in the land to approach any longer. Therefore the aggrieved presidential candidates must go home to roost.

In the final analysis, the justices of the Supreme Court have spoken. Nonetheless, man proposes but God disposes. In other words, God has the final say. The Heavenly Court is yet to make her own final verdict when the time comes. I appeal to all and sundry to bear the burden of the fatal somersault of justice and to remain prayerful. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Also there is hope in hopelessness. Since a black hen can lay white eggs, all hope is not lost. The God of justice is not asleep.