Judges Now Pervert Justice, Sell Judgements to Highest Bidders, Says Jega

• A former INEC boss, Attahiru Jega says many judges are included in election petition tribunals but pervert justice by selling judgements
• Jega says senior lawyers have now become wealthy by defending corrupt public officials thus contributing to the ills in the nation
• Calls on the Nigerian Bar Association and the Body of Benchers to save the judiciary by dealing with the ugly trend

Ibadan, Oyo - A growing trend within the Nigerian judicial system has been brought to the fore by the erstwhile Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

Punch reports that Jega said some corrupt judges within the Nigerian judicial system contribute in no small measure to the issues bedevelling the nation, adding that they usually use their positions in election tribunals to subvert justice by selling judgements to the highest bidder while enriching themselves.

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Legit.ng gathered the he said these judges sold judgments to the highest bidders and turn around to retire quickly all in a bid to avoid sanctions by the National Judicial Council

The former electoral commission boss who is also the former Vice Chancellor of Bayero Univeristy made the revelation while delivering a keynote speech in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital at the Owolabi Afuye Memorial Lecture organised by the Nigerian Bar Association.

Legit.ng gathered that the former INEC boss noted that these corrupt officials were part of the problems of the nation as they fuel underdevelopment and insecurity. These they do by setting aside the ethics of their profession to rather fill their pockets.

According to him, many judges are now notorious for corruptly enriching themselves and is especially through election matters generally and specicially in election tribunals.

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He noted that when lawyers employ technicalities to subvert justice and ‘win’ cases, they are basically conttibuting to ruining the peaceful coexistence and security he country enjoys.

These judicial officers he according to him, disregard all the ethics of their profession and rather put their own needs at the fore-front of ther practice.

Professor Attaahiru Jega who is presently the only INEC chariman to have overseen two Nigerian General Elections which is the 2011 and 2015 general elections says this issue needs to be dealt with by the legal regulatory bodies in order to set the country on the right path.

He also noted that many have been killed and their properties stolen with many Nigerians equally staying in Internally Displaced Persons camp for long since their homes are no longer safe with the constant threat of attack from bandits, putting uncertainty in the future of their children. Many things have gone so bad that many are now even seeing Nigeria as a failed project.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that the former INEC Chairman had opined that restructuring must be carried out before the 2023 general elections. This he says will help address some fundamental challenges facing the country.

He however took a swipe at the National Assembly as well as the federal government by saying that they lacked the political will to cary out the much needed restructuring.

Jega shared these thoughts at the 2021 Public Lecture held at Achievers University in Owo, Ondo state.

Source: Legit.ng