NBA President Speaks On Corruption In Judiciary

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Against the backdrop of continuous allegation of high level corruption in the nation’s Judicial system, president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, has accused the judiciary officers, both in the Bar and bench as being the most corrupt – givers and takers of bribes in the country.

He averred  that corruption has eaten so deep in the fabric of the nation’s judiciary to the extent that most judgments in the country now depend on the fatness of envelopes one gives  other than quantum evidence.

The NBA president, equally posited that part of the nation’s problem is the  judiciary is that “we appoint wrong persons as Judges, while the real qualifed people are not given the opportunity.

According to him, the situation has become a “moral crisis and a democratic emergency” that threatens the very foundation of the entity called  Nigeria.

The NBA boss, stated this in a keynote speech he delivered in Enugu on Friday, at the 17th  Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture organized  by the National Association of Seadogs NAS pyrates confraternity with the theme: 

‘Judicial Corruption in Nigeria: a menace to Democracy and social justice.

Osigwe, known for his outspokenness, expressed worry that the judiciary, once revered as the last hope of the common man, is increasingly perceived as a market place where justice is auctioned to the highest bidder.

He however, noted that this systemic decay has led to widespread disillusionment among citizens, who now view courtrooms as arenas where rulings are influenced by “envelopes rather than evidence.”

 The NBA national president posited that without an honest criminal justice system, the wealthy and powerful can escape the consequences of their crimes, effectively reducing the perceived cost of corruption and feeding a culture of impunity.

Osigwe, who cited  alarming data,  referenced a 2024 survey by the UNODC and the National Bureau of Statistics, which revealed that public officials received approximately N721 billion in cash bribes in 2023, with judges ranking among the top recipients.

 He equally recalled  an Independent Corrupt practices and other related offences ICPC survey estimating that N9.4 billion was involved in bribes within the justice sector between 2018 and 2020, with lawyers and litigants identified as primary bribe-givers.

Osigwe therefore, argued that the internal rot in the system, has decimated public trust, pointing out that Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Nigeria 140th out of 180 countries of the world.

 The ugly development he stressed, is worsened by a “weak and compromised” system that allows elites to insulate themselves from accountability while the poor suffer the most. 

He said the academies to train and select judges has not helped matters, because the current National Judicial Institute model has failed to yield desired results.

The Imo state born SAN, however, recommended that the Chief Justice of Nigeria should no longer chair the National Judicial Council (NJC) to prevent the over-concentration of power.

Osigwe also advocated for the automation of case assignments to eliminate “judge shopping” and suggested the mandatory suspension of any judicial officer under investigation for criminal offenses to preserve the moral authority of the bench. 

In his conclusion, the NBA national leader  reminded stakeholders that the fight against corruption is a collective responsibility involving the Bar, the Bench, and the citizenry, urging religious and traditional institutions to stop honoring individuals with questionable wealth.

He also called for the full implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary, saying that is the only way to tackle the issue of executive interference in the system.

His words: “History will judge us not by our eloquence, but by our willingness to act,” Osigwe stated, insisting that the “temple of justice” must be cleansed to ensure that the rule of law prevails over the rule of money.

Osigwe, insisted  that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy depends on an incorruptible judiciary that can command respect both locally and international

Meanwhile, the organizers of the event had earlier in the day carried a medical outreach at Owo, Enugu East local government area of Enugu state, where medical experts attended to natives of the rural Community with various health challenges including given them drugs and other medics 

In his welcome remark, Dr. Joseph Oteri, he national Capoon NAS said the Ralph Opara memorial lecture goes beyond ceremony and tradition, but speaks directly the the conscience of the nation.

The National Association of Seadogs was founded on ideals of human dignity, Democratic values, and it’s unwavering pursuit of justice. 

“These  ideals compel us, as a civil minded organization, to continually interrogate tye structure that shape our society and to challenge practices that undermine democracy and the society.” Oteri stated .

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