Nigerian Bar Association President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, tore into the country’s justice system on Friday, branding judges and lawyers some of Nigeria’s most prolific bribe-takers. Court rulings, he said, now hinge on “the fatness of envelopes,” not the force of evidence.
Addressing the Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture in Enugu, organised by the National Association of Seadogs, Osigwe warned that the bench and bar have steered the nation into “a moral crisis and a democratic emergency.” The theme of the lecture was “Judicial Corruption in Nigeria: A Menace to Democracy and Social Justice.”
Osigwe recalled when the judiciary was “the last hope of the common man.” Today, he lamented, “courtrooms are seen as auction houses where justice goes to the highest bidder.”
He backed the claim with hard numbers. A 2024 UN Office on Drugs and Crime and National Bureau of Statistics survey showed public officials pocketed roughly ₦721 billion in cash bribes last year, with judges among the top recipients. Another ICPC report found ₦9.4 billion in bribes exchanged hands in the justice sector between 2018 and 2020, mostly paid by lawyers and litigants.
“Public trust has collapsed,” Osigwe said, pointing to Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index that placed Nigeria 140th out of 180 countries. When courts are for sale, the wealthy walk free while the poor shoulder the pain, he argued.
The reputational damage has already spilled across borders. Niger Delta communities in Okpabi v. Royal Dutch Shell chose London courts, convinced they would not get a fair hearing at home. The multi-billion-dollar P&ID arbitration award against Nigeria was overturned only after a London judge ruled the contract was secured by fraud.
“These cases are a global vote of no confidence in our legal system,” Osigwe said.
To halt the slide, he urged sweeping reforms:
Appoint judges strictly on merit, ending nepotism and godfatherism.
Restructure the National Judicial Council so the Chief Justice of Nigeria no longer chairs it, dispersing concentrated power.
Introduce automated case allocation** to block “judge shopping.”
Suspend any judicial officer** facing credible corruption charges pending full investigation.
