The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, SAN, has countered recent claims that the Nigerian judiciary is one of the most corrupt institutions in the country. Speaking in an interview, Osigwe argued that the perception of corruption within the judiciary has been exaggerated, often unsupported by verifiable data.
Referring to reports from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the National Bureau of Statistics, and various anti-corruption agencies, Osigwe stated that allegations of systemic corruption in the judiciary are often based on flawed or insufficient evidence. However, he acknowledged the existence of “a few bad eggs” within the legal system whose actions tarnish the judiciary’s reputation.
Osigwe was responding to remarks made by the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, SAN. At the 2024 Annual Lecture and Award Ceremony organized by the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, Aliyu criticized the justice system, describing it as being plagued by bribery, influence-peddling, and other unethical practices.
Aliyu stated, “The widespread corruption within the justice system, including bribery and influence-peddling, poses a fundamental challenge. Judicial officials, despite limited public contact, exhibit a relatively high prevalence of bribery, necessitating targeted anti-corruption measures.”
In his response, Osigwe refuted the claim that the judiciary ranks among Nigeria’s most corrupt institutions, though he admitted there are challenges to address.
“I would be burying my head in the sand to pretend there is no form of judicial corruption. But I do not agree that the judiciary is one of the most corrupt institutions in Nigeria,” he said.
He called on the legal profession to confront its shortcomings and restore public trust in the judiciary. Osigwe urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intensify disciplinary measures to ensure proper investigations into allegations of corruption and to hold offenders accountable.
“As a profession, we need to reflect on how we got here. When did we lose the public’s confidence? Why is the judiciary perceived as corrupt? There is significant work to do, and the NJC must strengthen its disciplinary processes to address these issues effectively,” Osigwe concluded.