The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has raised an alarm over the deteriorating image of the Nigerian judiciary, describing the current perception of the bench as a “democratic emergency.”Speaking on Friday, February 6, 2026, in Enugu at the 17th Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture, Osigwe lamented that the institution once regarded as the last hope of the common man is now increasingly viewed by the public as a marketplace where justice is auctioned to the highest bidder. He warned that this widespread disillusionment, where rulings are perceived to be influenced by bribes rather than evidence, constitutes a direct threat to the foundation of the country.
Osigwe cited alarming data to back his claims, referencing a 2024 survey by the UNODC and the National Bureau of Statistics which revealed that public officials received approximately ₦721 billion in cash bribes in 2023, with judges ranking among the top recipients. He also pointed to an ICPC survey indicating that ₦9.4 billion in bribes flowed through the justice sector between 2018 and 2020, with lawyers and litigants identified as the primary bribe-givers. The NBA President argued that this systemic rot has decimated public trust and is reflected in Nigeria’s low ranking of 140th out of 180 countries on the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index.
To address these vulnerabilities, the NBA President proposed radical reforms, including the implementation of merit-based judicial appointments and the establishment of state-level judicial academies. He specifically advocated for the removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria from the chairmanship of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to prevent the over-concentration of power and the automation of case assignments to eliminate the practice of “judge shopping.” Osigwe also insisted on the mandatory suspension of any judicial officer under investigation for criminal offences to preserve the moral authority of the bench while calling for full financial autonomy for the third arm of government.
The senior lawyer further highlighted the international consequences of Nigeria’s judicial corruption, citing high-profile cases like the P&ID arbitration saga and Okpabi v Royal Dutch Shell as evidence of a global “vote of no confidence” in the nation’s legal system. He warned that when the wealthy can buy their way out of accountability, the social contract fractures and foreign investment is discouraged. Osigwe concluded by urging religious and traditional institutions to stop honouring individuals with questionable wealth, stressing that the cleansing of the “temple of justice” is a collective responsibility essential for the survival of Nigeria’s democracy.
