CRIME
NBA President, Afam Osigwe, Raises Alarm on Judicial Corruption, Says Nigeria’s Courts Now Tilted by “Fatness of Envelopes,” Warns of Moral Crisis Threatening Democracy
By @TheKELVINATOR, The Eyes Opener News | February 7, 2026
Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has delivered a scathing indictment of Nigeria’s judiciary and legal profession, accusing them of being among the most corrupt segments of the country and warning that the integrity of the justice system is under grave threat.
Osigwe made the remarks on Friday while speaking at the Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture organized by the National Association of Seadogs in Enugu. The lecture, themed “Judicial Corruption in Nigeria: A Menace to Democracy and Social Justice,” provided a platform for the NBA President to outline what he described as a deep-rooted crisis undermining the rule of law and democratic governance in Nigeria.
According to Osigwe, the judiciary, which should serve as the last bastion of hope for ordinary citizens, has increasingly lost public confidence due to pervasive corruption. He described the current state of affairs as a “moral crisis and a democratic emergency” that poses a serious danger to the foundations of the Nigerian state.
“The judiciary, once revered as the last hope of the common man, is increasingly perceived as a marketplace where justice is auctioned to the highest bidder,” Osigwe said.
He lamented that many Nigerians no longer believe that court decisions are guided by facts and the law, but rather by inducements and financial influence. He added that public perception has shifted dramatically, with courtrooms now widely seen as spaces where outcomes are shaped by bribes instead of credible evidence.
Backing his claims with data, Osigwe referenced a 2024 survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics. The survey revealed that public officials received an estimated ₦721 billion in cash bribes in 2023, with judges listed among the top recipients. He also cited findings from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which showed that ₦9.4 billion in bribes passed through the justice sector between 2018 and 2020, with lawyers and litigants identified as the main bribe-givers.
“The rot in our judiciary has decimated public trust,” Osigwe said, noting that Nigeria’s poor standing on the global corruption scale reflects this erosion of confidence. He pointed out that Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Nigeria 140th out of 180 countries, a position he said underscores the extent of institutional decay. He warned that a compromised justice system creates a society where the rich and powerful evade accountability while the poor and vulnerable suffer injustice.
Osigwe further highlighted the international consequences of Nigeria’s weakened justice system, citing high-profile cases that exposed the lack of confidence in domestic legal processes. He referenced Okpabi v Royal Dutch Shell, where Niger Delta communities sought justice in UK courts due to the failure of effective remedies at home. He also mentioned the controversial P&ID arbitration case, in which a multi-billion-dollar award against Nigeria was only overturned in London after fraud was established.
“These cases represent a global vote of no confidence in Nigeria’s legal system,” he said, stressing that the country’s international reputation continues to suffer as long as judicial corruption persists.
In outlining solutions, Osigwe called for far-reaching and bold reforms to rescue the judiciary from further decline. He advocated merit-based judicial appointments, the establishment of judicial academies at the state level, and the removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria from chairing the National Judicial Council in order to curb excessive concentration of power.
He also proposed automated case assignment systems, mandatory suspension of judges under investigation, and the full implementation of judicial financial autonomy to strengthen independence and accountability.
“The fight against corruption is a collective responsibility of the Bar, the Bench, and the citizenry,” Osigwe said.
He urged religious and traditional institutions to refrain from celebrating or honoring individuals whose wealth cannot be credibly explained, warning that such practices indirectly legitimize corruption.
“History will judge us not by our eloquence, but by our willingness to act. The temple of justice must be cleansed to ensure the rule of law prevails over the rule of money.”
He concluded by emphasizing that the future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on the emergence of a judiciary that is incorruptible, credible, and capable of earning both national and international respect.