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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...

IT is official! The judiciary is the most corrupt institution in Nigeria; judges are the biggest takers of bribes in this country. A few years ago, I wrote a piece titled “Lord, give Nigeria bold and incorruptible judges”, (Vanguard, April 25, 2019). When I said that Nigerian judges are fantastically corrupt, it seemed as if I was just making an assertion, as if I was just expressing an opinion as a columnist. But now, we have an official confirmation. According to a recent survey conducted and published by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, Nigeria’s public officials received N721billion cash bribes in 2023, and judges topped the list of the recipients. The 160-page report titled “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends”, published this month, makes for sobering reading indeed. Those in denial about how utterly broken and rotten things are in Nigeria must now realise the incongruency of their positi...

  Nigeria’s Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad has  resigned  in the wake of corruption allegations.  President Muhammadu Buhari immediately swore in  the most senior judge of the Supreme Court, Olukayode Ariwoola, as Acting Chief Justice. Justice Muhammad leaves behind a dysfunctional justice system. The Conversation Africa asked public law expert Abiodun Odusote what Muhammad’s successor can do to fix the justice system. President Muhammadu Buhari congratulates Acting Chief Justice Ariwoola. What’s wrong with Nigeria’s justice system? The events preceding Justice Muhammad’s resignation and the news emanating afterwards call for reflection on the administration of justice in Nigeria. A week before he resigned, 14 Supreme Court justices  had accused  him of corruption and of not taking their welfare seriously. In addition, he was accused of misplaced priorities and the use of limited financial resources to take his family on vacation. The justices cited chal...