News Investigators/ Kayode Ajulo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria has faulted Sen. Babafemi Ojudo on allegations that Nigeria’s justice is for sale.
In a statement on Thursday entitled: “Is Justice Truly for Sale in Nigeria? A Necessary Balance to Senator Ojudu’s “How They Buy the Judges & Break the Country” Ajulo described Ojodu’s allegation as unfair to the nation’s judicial system.
“If Ojodu’s narrative is left unchallenged, it may become an unfair yardstick and statistics for judging the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary and the many noble men and women who serve within it.
“We must also acknowledge Ojudu’s courage in bringing his concerns into the open. His voice has shaped public debate for decades.
“It is also in this same spirit of open engagement that I offer this necessary balance.
“The senator shared a troubling experience, one, any reasonable person would find unsettling. I acknowledge his right to tell his story. However, a single negative encounter should never define an entire institution.
“Narratives, especially those presented by respected voices, must be balanced or they risk distorting reality and misleading posterity.”
According to Ajulo, Ojudu failed to highlight the positive encounters he equally enjoyed within the same justice system, making it necessary to assist him by offering context, perspective, and my own experiences drawn 25 years of legal practice.
” Corruption is a truth that applies to every sector, and where it exists, is not the exclusive disease of any single arm of government or profession.
“I reject the dangerous insinuations that suggest all judges or judicial processes are compromised. We know such stereotypes circulate . It is unjust to condemn an entire institution because of the failings of a few.
“Ojodu forgot that one of his greatest political victories was delivered, not by political power but by the judiciary he now paints with such broad strokes,” he said.
Ajulo noted that when Ojodu’s senatorial mandate (Ekiti Central) was challenged by Sen. Bode Ola of Ekiti after the Action Congress primaries, it was the judiciary that resolved the matter.
“The respected human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, a major contributor to my practice, personally reached out to me to handle the case.
“I initially expressed reservations because I was then a committed chieftain of the Labour Party, serving as its Acting Legal Adviser before becoming the National Secretary.
” The party was the ruling party in my home state, Ondo State, and I had contested for the FCT Senate seat under its platform in Abuja.
“However, Falana insisted that the matter was not about politics but trust, character, and integrity.
“And so, in spite the political implications, we began the long but purposeful journey from the Federal High Court through the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court.
“At no point in that process was there ever a hint of bribery or corruption. We prepared meticulously, relying solely on law, facts, and logic.
” We won at every stage, from the Federal High Court, to the Court of Appeal and then to the apex, the Supreme Court, without inducing anyone, without buying influence, and without compromising our values.
“This is the side of the judiciary Ojudu benefited from, the side thousands of Nigerians experienced daily,” Ajulo stated.
He pointed out that the same alleged corrupt judiciary in the case involving leaders of the Oodua People’s Congress were acquitted of treasonable felony.
“in the build-up to the 2007 elections, late Dr Frederick Fasehun, Iba Gani Adams (now the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland), and four others were arrested over allegations of public disturbance.
“They were later released by the administration of the current President, Bola Tinubu, who was then the governor of Lagos state.
“The Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjo, subsequently rearrested them, transferred them to Abuja, detained them for an extended period, and eventually charged them with treasonable felony.
“I joined the defence team led by eminent legal giants such as G.O.K. Ajayi and W.K. Shittu, now both SANs alongside Oluwole Kehinde.
“At one point, Festus Keyamo, now also a SAN and the current Minister of Aviation, joined the team.
“Hon. Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court delivered a courageous ruling, freeing them. Despite the boast that they will not be released until after the 2007 general election. That was the judiciary standing firm against executive pressure.”
Ajulo stated that there had been so many more prominent cases that the Nigerian judiciary delivered justice no matter who was involved.
“Under President Muhammadu Buhari’s civilian administration, known for its strong anti-corruption posture, several military officers implicated in the arms procurement scandal were arrested and had their property seized.
“The central figure was a Nigerian arms dealer, Hima Abubakar, whose property and funds were forfeited to the Federal Government on the order of the court.
When I was briefed, I discovered glaring legal issues that made the forfeiture questionable. Many warned me that the President was personally interested in the matter Yet we challenged it on law, argued it on merit, and won.
“The forfeiture was reversed without paying a penny to anyone. That victory was not about influence, it was about the judiciary doing its duty and upholding the law.”
According to him, for 25 years, If the judiciary were as rotten as suggested, honest lawyers will not survive, let alone excel.
“Only three years ago, a landmark case in which I represented the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and National Assembly came before the Supreme Court.
“President Muhammadu Buhari and the then all-powerful Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, CON, sought the deletion of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act.
“Many predicted that the Supreme Court would never rule against the administration. Yet a panel of seven Justices, led by Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, delivered a bold and principled judgment rooted firmly in law. That is not the behaviour of a compromised bench.,” he added.
On late Sen. Buruji Kashamu’s alleged boasting about pre-written judgments, Ajulo said that Nigerians must remember that he is no longer alive to respond.
” In all my years, I have never encountered a judge worth his office, who would allow a lawyer to write a judgment for him.
” That boast may have been empty, bluster meant to impress or intimidate, but it should never be used to condemn an entire institution.”
He noted that the National Judicial Council has sanctioned and continued to sanction many, pointing out that the overwhelming majority of Nigerian judges are upright, hardworking, principled, and deeply committed to justice.
“”These are men and women who sit late into the night, manage impossible caseloads, endure limited resources, and still deliver judgments that uphold our democracy. They deserve fairness, encouragement, and respect.
“If we genuinely want a better Nigeria, we must strengthen institutions, not destroy them with sweeping generalisations. Constructive criticism is necessary. Unbalanced condemnation is not.
“As we speak about the challenges in the judiciary, we must also honour the excellence within it. As we confront misconduct where it exists, we must highlight integrity where it thrives. And while we demand reforms, we must never undermine the last hope of the common man.
“A nation cannot survive without a judiciary it trusts. But that trust must be built on truth, whole truth, balanced truth, and responsible truth,” the attorney general added”.
NAN
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