Like the CJN, lawyers have expressed deep concerns over the persistent cases of allegations of corruption, bias and delayed justice in the third arm of government.
The lawyers called for immediate introduction and implementation of systemic reforms that will restore sanity to the justice sector. TUNDE OYESINA reports
Some senior lawyers have asked the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to as a matter of urgency, take actions that will sanitize and reform the judiciary in order to restore the waning public trust in the third arm of government.
The lawyers who spoke on the heels of concerns raised by the CJN on the waning fortunes of the judiciary, noted with dismay that the Nigerian judiciary, once revered as the bastion of integrity and fairness, has in recent years been tainted by allegations of corruption, nepotism and abuse of power.
Justice Kekere-Ekun bared her mind in Abuja while declaring open the 2025 hybrid refresher course for judges of superior courts of record.
According to her; “In spite of our collective efforts, challenges persist; allegations of corruption, delays in the dispensation of justice, and perceptions of bias or inefficiency remain issues of concern”.
The CJN however noted that the impact of the challenges were being felt deeply within the judicial system. “They undermine public confidence, weaken the judiciary’s authority, and create a dangerous gulf between the courts and the society they serve.
“The onus is therefore on us to confront these challenges head-on and reaffirm our commitment to judicial excellence,” she said.
While noting that the judiciary served as the guardian of justice, the final arbiter in disputes, and the ultimate custodian of constitutional order, she added that it however, did not exist in a vacuum.
“Its authority and effectiveness are inextricably linked to the trust and confidence that the public reposes in it.
“Without public confidence, the judiciary’s moral authority is diminished, and its ability to discharge its constitutional mandate is impaired.
“However, public trust is neither assumed nor conferred; it must be earned and safeguarded through judicial integrity, professionalism, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
“As judicial officers, we bear the solemn responsibility of ensuring that justice is dispensed with fairness, impartiality and efficiency. “It is not enough to be impartial; we must also be seen to be impartial.
The perception of bias or impropriety can be as damaging as the reality itself,” Kekere-Ekun added. Also lending his voice on the issue, the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Retired Justice Salisu Abdullahi, noted that public trust was the very foundation upon which the judiciary’s legitimacy was built.
Corruption, bias and delayed justice undermines public confidence and weakens judiciary’s authority
“However, trust in the judiciary, like any cherished value, is neither automatic nor enduring without deliberate action”, he said.
Abdullahi told the participants that public confidence must be earned through conduct that exemplified impartiality, integrity and diligence.
Past concerns by CJN
Meanwhile, this is not the first time the CJN will express concerns over these negative trends. Justice Kekere-Ekun, had at her assumption of office, spoke on these challenges and vowed to address them. The CJN, during her screening before the Senate, said that one of the things she is known for is integrity and for being strict. “Therefore, to ensure that the integrity of the judiciary is maintained, I will ensure that the Code of Conduct is fully complied with,” she said She rolled out several reform plans, among which are; a promise for zero tolerance for corruption in the judiciary, as well as the setting up of a committee to evaluate judgements and performance of judges. The CJN maintained that limited cases ought to find their ways to the Supreme Court. She added that during her tenure, courts would be digitised and judgements instantly uploaded. She also warned that there would be consequences for conflicting judgements for both judges and lawyers who go on forum shopping, and for granting interviews on cases, among others. On the independence of the judiciary, Kekere-Ekun said: “This is an area that I am also going to take very, very seriously. “The NJC also has a committee working on this to ensure that we make the screening process rigorous, transparent, and something that the citizenry will be satisfied with when judges are appointed. “So, I’m going to make sure that this is done and with dispatch. “We are looking at other jurisdictions to see how they carry out this process and how we can improve our own process in that regard”.
Retired jurists concerns
In a similar vein, New Telegraph Law recalls that some retired Justices of the Supreme Court in their respective valedictory speeches, have alluded to the corrupt state of the judiciary and the need for a total overhauling and reformation.
For instance, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Dattijo Mohammed, who retired after over 40 years of service, in his valedictory speech, cited references from public opinions, perverse decisions emanating from the Supreme Court and other Nigerian courts, as well as the flawed and arbitrary appointments of judges in the country.
The retired justice who rose to become the second-most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, also made scathing comments about alleged corrupt handling of the judiciary’s funds and the judiciary’s affairs in the Supreme Court and other courts.
His speech reads in part, “Through the years, I rose to become the second most senior Justice of the country’s apex Court and Deputy Chairperson of the National Judicial Council.
Considering the number of years I have spent in judicial service and the position I have attained by the grace of the Almighty, I feel obligated to continue the struggle for reforms for a better judiciary and would be leaning on the earlier submissions of those who had exited before me.
“Now, how has the judiciary fared in the course of my journey?
The journey was calm and fulfilling until about half way through my Supreme Court years when the punctuating turbulent cracks made it awry and askew. “Public perceptions of the judiciary have over the years become witheringly scornful and monstrously critical.
It has been in the public space that court officials and judges are easily bribed by litigants to obviate delays and or obtain favourable judgements”.
It would also be recalled that in 2022, another Justice of the Supreme Court, Ejembi Eko, in his own valedictory speech, also noted that one of his biggest worries was the endemic corruption in the judiciary and how it had robbed the justice system of its reputation.
During a valedictory session organised to celebrate his retirement, rather than bask in the euphoria of the moment, Justice Eko used the occasion to lament the corruption in the judiciary, especially in the handling of its finances.
He called on anti-graft agencies to probe the financial records of the judiciary. Expressing the lack of financial transparency in the judiciary, Justice Eko said, “As it is, presently, and as the Director of Budget in the Federal Ministry of Finance disclosed recently at the memorial lecture in honour of the late Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, it is baffling that the welfare of judges remains in abject state in spite of the increase of the budgetary allocation to the judiciary under this regime.
Why? “The said Director of Budget suggested that the panacea to the often touted underfunding of the judiciary would be for ‘the judiciary to allow its books to be opened’ by relevant authorities”.
NASS’ intervention
In its bid to address the problem of delay in justice delivery in the country, the House of Representatives, in 2024, mandated its Committee on Constitutional Review to undertake a comprehensive look into the justice and judicial system.
The Benjamin Kalu-led committee was particularly tasked with consulting experts, civil society, and citizens to gather inputs for meaningful reforms with a December 2025 deadline.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion titled, “The need to review Nigeria’s justice and judicial system to restore public trust in the judiciary and address the delay in providing justice,” sponsored by the member representing Alimosho Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Hon. Ganiyu Ayuba. Ayuba had argued that the judiciary was expected to live up to its responsibility of quick dispensation of justice and interpreting the laws made by the legislature.
He noted that one of the elements of fair hearing as enshrined in Section 36(1) of the Constitution is the prompt determination of any civil rights and obligations of any person or authority within reasonable time by court or tribunal established by law.
Lawyers speak
Speaking on how the allegations of corruption, delays in justice dispensation and bias in the judiciary can be tackled, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr Abiodun Layonu, posited that corruption is not limited to the legal sector, but is a nationwide problem affecting all institutions. “There is no sector in Nigeria that corruption has not infected.
The solution is to keep plugging the holes in the system to make corruption more difficult, rather than trying to eliminate it entirely,” he said.
As a possible solution, Layonu suggested radical economic measures, including demonetizing highvalue naira notes.
He proposed scrapping the ₦1,000 note and possibly reducing the highest denomination to ₦200, making large-scale bribery in local currency more cumbersome.
“If you want to bribe someone with ₦1 million in ₦200 notes, it becomes physically inconvenient.
“Right now, the real currency of corruption in Nigeria is the U.S. dollar because you can carry huge sums discreetly,” he explained.
He also recommended enforcing strict regulations on the possession and usage of foreign currencies to reduce illicit financial transactions.
While Layonu acknowledged that corruption cannot be completely eradicated, he emphasized the need for systemic reforms.
He advocated for stronger oversight in the judiciary, improved technology to track financial transactions, and expanded digital banking access to reduce reliance on cash.
In his comments, another member of the Inner Bar, Mba Ukweni, while addressing the issue of corruption in Nigeria’s justice system, acknowledged that the judiciary, being a microcosm of the larger society, is not immune to corrupt practices.
He emphasized the need for a foundational shift in societal values, starting with moral education from a young age, to instil a sense of right and wrong.
Ukweni recounted experiences from other countries where societal consciousness against corruption is markedly higher, suggesting that Nigeria could learn from such examples.
He also highlighted the detrimental influence of political actors on the judiciary, noting that the appointment of judges has become politicized, which undermines the integrity of the judicial system.
Ukweni called for a return to merit-based appointments, free from political interference, to restore public confidence in the judiciary.
The silk listed factors contributing to delays in the justice system to include the overwhelming caseloads assigned to judges and inadequate courtroom facilities.
He pointed out that judges often have to manage an excessive number of cases daily, leading to fatigue and inefficiency.
Moreover, he also noted that the lack of essential infrastructure, such as functional recording equipments and reliable electricity, hampers judicial proceedings. Bias, according to Ukweni, is a form of corruption that erodes the foundation of justice.
Public perception of the judiciary has over the years become witheringly scornful and monstrously critical
He stressed that for the judiciary to function effectively, it must be insulated from external pressures and operate in an environment conducive to impartial decision-making.
To address these challenges, Ukweni proposed the reintroduction of moral and civic education at all levels of schooling to foster a culture of integrity and Accountability, as well as the establishment of an independent body responsible for the selection and appointment of judges based on merit, thereby reducing political influence.
He also suggested heavy investments in the modernization of court facilities, ensuring they are well-equipped and maintained to facilitate efficient judicial processes, implementation of measures to distribute cases more evenly among judges and consider appointing additional judges to handle the caseload effectively.
Speaking on the CJN’s concerns, a rights activist, Ahmed Maiwada, said; “For me, the key word by Her lordship is ‘allegations’, which means unsubstantiated claims.
“The fact is, in the hallowed court where Her lordship supervises and way down the ladders, proven facts, rather than allegations, are the only acceptable currencies of exchange.
It, therefore, comes as a surprise that Her lordship had so given much attention to “allegations” enough to make the comment that we are reacting to here.
“Be that as it may, I need to point out that there is conflict in nearly every matter filed in our judicial systems.
That being the case, there are in every case parties with opposing claims or positions, supported by their own facts, which they believe to be true.
“In a society where nobody is wrong, except the other party, it is understandable that allegations would be made in nearly each case where such parties are adjudged as the ones without the truth.
It is also understandable that the other party would make the same allegation if the decision in his favour is reversed by a superior court during appeal. “It is our way of doing things; a culture of being right all the time.
And if one understands that the ignorance of the law by litigants might justify their making such allegations, it is inexcusable that legal practitioners are also alleging biases against judicial officers on cases that their clients might have lost due to their own handling or mishandling of one or more aspects thereof.
“In a nutshell, allegations by litigants and members of the uninitiated general public of corruption, delays and bias in the judicial might be excusable.
But in my long practice of the law and experience in the courts, such allegations by legal practitioners are hardly sustainable.
I have listened to many judgements read in the open courts where lawyers lost their cases even in the absence of defences because they had failed to prove their cases as prescribed by law.
“It is often such practitioners that cried the loudest about bias. And show me any legal practitioner that doesn’t delay an ongoing case, and I’ll show you a non-lawyer”.
In his comments on the challenges facing the justice sector, an Abujabased lawyer, Seyi Arowosebe said: “I am happy that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) acknowledged that there are concerted efforts to curb corruption in the judiciary.
“The CJN is the first judicial officer in the country. If we are going to have a corrupt-free judiciary, the cleansing and drive must start from her office.
Let the office of the CJN issue directives, and prescribe sanctions for non-compliance. “The Nigerian public are not foolish. The people know when things go right or wrong.
They are watching. it will take some time for the concerted efforts to materialize, just like it took a while for the corruption in the judiciary to bite deeply into the fabrics of our sacred legal profession.
Also reacting, a senior lawyer, Paul Ayam, noted that the CJN’s position is coming from her observations, views and opinions of the judiciary she has been part of over the years.
“She knows what to do to curb it or reduce it to the lowest ebbs. She is the chief law officer”, Ayam said.
In his submissions, Onesimus Ruya urged the CJN to work very hard to rebuild public trust in the judiciary, which sadly has declined. Ruya said: “There has to be a complete overhaul of the operating model of the courts.
It is a sad thing to know that it can take up to 20 years for cases to crawl up to the Supreme Court. This no doubt reduces the confidence in the judiciary.
“The CJN should also create a speed of justice programme. The courts need new rules of procedure. The current rules are a modified version of the English rules in England just under 100 years ago.
“The operating model is not necessarily by appointment of new judges to the Bench, but judges must be enabled by transformational rules of procedure to work round the clock. “A claimant may file an action at midnight.
A judge must have what is called case management powers to deal with cases expeditiously with the fundamental objective of speed and to give a result to court users.
The introduction of modern tools of rules of procedure will change the face of our courts”.
