The Chairperson of Panel 2 of the Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Kano, Justice Azinge on Tuesday raised the alarm that some lawyers were attempting to bribe judges in her team.
According to her, this was the second time a judge was complaining about how some lawyers prosecuting election matters before her tried to corrupt the system by offering bribes to her and her colleagues.
She stated in the open court on Tuesday that, “money is flying”, adding that “it’s being rumoured that a staff collected N10 million.”
However, she did not elaborate on if the staff who collected the bribe was in her court or another court.
She however warned that she would not take kindly to any further attempt to pervert the course of justice through corruption.
“In recent years, allegations of lawyers bribing judges cast shadows over Nigeria’s judicial system, a complex issue that is threatening to erode the public’s trust in the pursuit of justice.”
“While it is important to acknowledge that not all lawyers engage in unethical practices, the spectre of judicial corruption remains a concerning challenge that the Nigerian legal community must confront head-on.”
Contacted for his reaction over the allegation that some lawyers were attempting to bribe some EPT judges, the Kano State Nigeria Bar Association Chairman, S. S. Gezawa, said he read the report in an online newspaper that the Chairperson of the Kano EPT, Justice Azinge alleged that some lawyers were attempting to bribe some judges.
He added that rumour had it that one of the court officials received the sum of N10 million, as a bribe.
“I’ll say, it is what it is, it is an allegation, if any member of the EPT or my Lord, the Chairperson of the panel, Justice Azinge, has any allegation or proof of evidence of such, it can be formalised, a complaint can be channelled to the NBA or to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for necessary action against the erring lawyer”
“We should also remember that lawyers are not immune to prosecution.”
To this extent, the NBA boss argued that if there is any concrete evidence against any lawyer that he has erred, it can be reported to any of the Security agencies, especially the Anti-Corruption Agencies, the police, the EFCC or the ICPC, if it involves a staff or public servant.
“So long as it has not been formalised, we will see, as my lord said, it is rumours and allegations, that is what it is”, he added.
Punch
