Our Reporter, New York
Renowned legal scholar and human rights activist, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s judiciary, describing the system as punitive against judges and judicial officers who uphold honesty and integrity.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with journalist Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica, Odinkalu said the Nigerian legal system is structured in ways that punish integrity while rewarding compromise, making it increasingly difficult for upright judges and public officers to survive.
According to him, judges who insist on doing the right thing often face subtle and not-so-subtle reprisals, including redeployment to unsafe or undesirable locations, withdrawal of security details, and deliberate neglect of their court infrastructures, all aimed at forcing them into submission.
“The dysfunctions in the system affect everyone—lawyers, clients, and judges,” Odinkalu said.
“Judges who want to do things rightly are often punished.”
He cited the case of a former Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General in the Ministry of Justice of a South-East state who was summarily retired for refusing to accept a large bribe from a senior politician close to the state governor. For Odinkalu, this underscores the fact that while there are good people within the system, they often suffer quietly for their principles.
Odinkalu explained that his work is no longer confined to serving lawyers but is now focused on helping the average Nigerian understand the law well enough to engage the legal system meaningfully. He stressed that this effort is not about populism, but about empowering citizens with information.
“My profession is citizenship now. I try to serve the average person an understanding of the law. Not so that I get populist, but so that people get enough information on the basis on which to approach the legal system,” the former NHRC chair stated.
When he began publicly exposing judicial corruption, Odinkalu said he was met with intense backlash, including threats to his life. However, he noted that persistence has already started to yield results, as more judges and senior lawyers have become his strongest supporters and sources of information.
“I will never mention any judge whom I know to be good,” he said, explaining that publicly identifying honest judges would only place targets on their backs and ultimately destroy them.
He also condemned what he described as strange and unacceptable practices within the judiciary, including politicians visiting judges privately to discuss pending cases and the use of so-called “judicial consultants” who allegedly draft judgments that later appear in court decisions.
“These are strange happenings,” Odinkalu said.
“They are alien to the legal profession.”
Beyond the judiciary, Odinkalu expressed deep concern about legislative complicity in what he described as serious breaches of the law, particularly in relation to Nigeria’s tax reforms. He noted that though many principal officers of the National Assembly are lawyers, none has shown visible concern over allegations that tax laws were altered after being passed by the National Assembly.
Rather than demanding accountability, he said, lawmakers have acted as though nothing unusual occurred.
Speaking further, Odinkalu took aim at tax policy consultant Taiwo Oyedele, accusing him of overstepping his role and misrepresenting his authority. While acknowledging Oyedele’s purported expertise in tax and fiscal matters, Odinkalu argued that as a consultant, he lacks the constitutional mandate to assume responsibilities reserved for ministers and other duly inducted government officials.
“He is just a consultant in government,” Odinkalu said.
“He is not a minister and does not have departmental responsibilities. He cannot go around taking responsibility for things that only people who have gone through the clearance and induction into the government should take responsibility for.”
He expressed concern that the government’s handling of the tax issue gives the impression of an “organized crime” operation rather than transparent governance.
