Gistlover

  LIKE a malignant genie, corruption allegations are sticking stubbornly to the judiciary. In the latest assault on the citadel of justice, the Chairman, State and House of Representatives Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano, Flora Azinge, raised the alarm that a senior lawyer was attempting to bribe her to influence the court. This has again illustrated the urgency of rooting out corruption and restoring public confidence in the judiciary. Though Azinge did not disclose the identity of the lawyer allegedly trying to bribe the panel, she insisted that some senior lawyers arguing petitions before the tribunal were engaged in unwholesome moves to corrupt the system. Visibly angry, she revealed in court how a senior lawyer offered a member of her staff N10 million to bribe the panel members. This was the second time the judge would raise such a weighty allegation. She had earlier accused an unnamed Senior Advocate of Nigeria of asking her to provide a bank account to send her “...

ABUJA – The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has received the backing of an advocacy group, Citizens’ Gavel, for her call to action on judicial reforms and the fight against corruption. This development came as the judiciary faced increasing criticism over delayed justice and widespread graft. The statement emphasized that Justice Kekere-Ekun’s acknowledgement of the judiciary’s inefficiencies aligns with Citizens’ Gavel’s mission to uphold justice and protect Nigerians’ rights. Justice Kekere-Ekun made her remarks at the 3rd Annual National Judicial Council (NJC) Conference on Judges’ Performance Evaluation in Abuja, where she stressed that delayed justice is equivalent to denied justice. According to Citizens’ Gavel, her candid acknowledgement highlights the urgent need for reform. The statement reads, “Delayed justice is denied justice. This stark reality underscores the frustrations of many citizens caught in a judicial system perceived as slow and inefficient...

This article by Johnson Babalola discusses the dangers of judicial corruption and how it is able to destroy the very fabric of society, eroding citizens’ trust in the Judiciary, governance and the rule of law; repelling foreign direct investment, companies that prefer to operate in an ethical environment, thereby impacting negatively on economic growth, among other gloomy outcomes. He suggests ways to tackle judicial corruption, from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) playing a more active role in the recruitment of judicial officers, to transparency in judicial appointments and  the National Judicial Council (NJC) playing a more effective role in the discipline of erring judicial officers. Introduction  In a nation where justice is compromised, every aspect of society is affected. Judicial corruption, particularly in Nigeria, which is striving to attract foreign investment and foster growth, not only tarnishes the image of the Judiciary, but also destabilises trust in the rul...