• Senior lawyers divided over bribery allegations against judges
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has warned that the prestige of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank must not be mistaken for immunity from discipline, declaring that the legal profession risks losing public trust if ethical breaches among senior lawyers are tolerated.
Speaking at the golden jubilee celebration of the SAN rank in Lagos, Fagbemi said respect for the Inner Bar was being eroded by the conduct of some of its members and “a disturbing culture of silence within the profession”.
Relatedly, a recent allegation by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN), that many court judgments were influenced by the highest bidder rather than the evidence, has continued to generate varied reactions within judicial circles.
Meanwhile, Fagbemi charged SANs to uphold the highest standards of discipline, ethics and professionalism, warning that the prestigious rank is a privilege that can be withdrawn if abused.
Fagbemi, who is a member of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), stressed that elevation to the Inner Bar was neither an entitlement nor a lifetime guarantee, but a continuing obligation to uphold the highest ethical standards.
“In five decades, fewer than 1,000 lawyers have been conferred with this rank. That exclusivity imposes higher responsibility, not privilege,” he said, adding that the LPPC retains the authority to withdraw the rank where it is abused.
He cautioned that when senior lawyers engage in sharp practices, abuse court processes, or politicise litigation, the damage goes beyond individual reputation and strikes at the heart of the justice system.
Earlier, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, had framed the 50th anniversary of the SAN rank as a moment of reckoning for the profession, warning that the influence wielded by the Inner Bar must be continually justified by conduct, restraint and service.
She said the SAN rank was not an ornamental badge of prestige, but a public trust whose holders play a decisive role in shaping judicial outcomes, professional culture and public confidence in the courts.
“Strong advocacy sharpens judicial reasoning, but unethical or reckless advocacy undermines the legitimacy of the courts,” the CJN said, noting that the calibre of submissions made by SANs has a direct impact on the quality of justice delivered.
She observed that although SANs account for less than 0.5 per cent of Nigeria’s legal practitioners, they dominate constitutional litigation, election petitions and high-value commercial disputes, and supply a significant proportion of judges elevated to appellate and superior courts.
According to her, this concentration of influence places an added burden on members of the Inner Bar to model decorum, professionalism and fidelity to the court.
The CJN lamented what she described as a gradual erosion of courtroom culture, including declining standards of restraint and respectful engagement, warning that such trends weaken the moral authority of both the Bar and the Bench.
Elder statesmen of the profession, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Thompson Okpoko (SAN), cautioned that the authority of the SAN rank would diminish if discipline, mentorship and self-regulation were not taken seriously.
They urged the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) to strengthen internal accountability mechanisms and lead efforts to restore public confidence in the justice system.
The NBA president stirred the hornet’s nest last Friday when he labelled judges and lawyers the worst bribe-takers, even as he made a case for holistic judicial reforms.
Speaking at the Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture organised by the National Association of Sea Dogs in Enugu, with the theme ‘Judicial Corruption in Nigeria: A Menace to Democracy and Social Justice’, Osigwe described the rot in the judiciary as a “moral crisis and a democratic emergency” that threatens the foundation of the country.
“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 added, insisting that citizens now view courtrooms as arenas where rulings are influenced by bribes rather than evidence.
To back up his claim, the NBA president cited a 2024 survey by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which revealed that public officials received approximately N721 billion in cash bribes in 2023, with judges among the top recipients.
He equally noted that a survey by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) indicated that N9.4 billion in bribes flowed through the justice sector between 2018 and 2020, with lawyers and litigants identified as primary bribe-givers.
Reacting to Osigwe’s claim, a Life Bencher and former Chairman of the Benchers Mentoring Committee, Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN), maintained that levelling such a damning allegation against the judiciary was not enough. He called for details and names of the corrupt judicial officers.
Fagbemi, who is also the Chairman of BOSAN, said holders of the rank must continually conduct themselves in a manner that preserves their dignity, nobility and esteem, as misconduct and indiscipline have no place among members of the inner bar.
The AGF cautioned junior lawyers against acts of disrespect towards SANs, noting that those conferred with the rank deserve utmost respect in recognition of the exalted position they occupy in the legal profession.
Senior Assistant to the President on Communication and Publicity in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Kamarudeen Ogundele, stated yesterday that Fagbemi spoke in Lagos on Saturday at a dinner organised by BOSAN to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the conferment of the rank of SAN.
According to the statement, 134 graduates of the BOSAN Induction Programme, comprising 87 SANs of the 2024 set and 57 SANs of the 2025 set, were formally welcomed into the Body.
He, however, emphasised that maintaining discipline should not be left solely to regulatory bodies.
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