NBA President: Nigerian Judiciary is Not Corrupt 

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau OON, SAN, declared that the Nigerian Judiciary is not corrupt, and that the legal profession in Nigeria cannot be compromised.

Mr Maikyau made this statement on Thursday, October 20, 2022, at the Valedictory Court session held in honour of Hon. Justice Mojeed Adekunle Owoade, retired Justice of the Court of Appeal.

At the event which took place at the Court of Appeal, Ibadan, the NBA President also decried the narratives that Nigerian Judges are corrupt and can be compromised.

In his words, “The fact that there may be some bad eggs amongst us, and this I say for both the Bench and the Bar, does not justify the characterisation of the entire Judiciary and the legal profession, as generally corrupt. The Judiciary and indeed, the legal profession in Nigeria, consist of distinguished men and women that have worked and are still working honestly, sincerely, and with integrity to contribute their quota to the development of this nation”.

He also stated that: “the fact that the toe in a body has turned gangrenous, does not make the entire body rotten. And, if the toe is so infected, the way to save the body is to amputate the toe. That is what we must do as members of the legal profession; either on the Bench or at the Bar, and we must speak loudly to the nation about who we truly are, to correct that negative perception. If we do not do so, it will be an abdication of duty on our part; and if we completely lose the confidence of the public, resort to self-help and the attendant chaos, will be inevitable. We must break the silence!”

While acknowledging that the challenges faced in the system of administration of justice in Nigeria, include the issue of manpower at the Bench, the NBA President also urged for better conditions of service for judicial officers.

The Learned Senior Advocate further described Hon. Justice Owoade (rtd) as one of the numerous examples of integrity, honesty, and excellence in the legal profession, and congratulated the jurist on the excellent service record and glorious exit from the Bench.