Retiring Supreme Court Justice Ibrahim Musa Saulawa has cautioned politicians against offering gifts to judicial officers, describing such gestures as “Greek gifts” capable of undermining the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
Saulawa gave the warning on Tuesday during a valedictory court session held at the Supreme Court in Abuja to mark his retirement from the Bench after attaining the mandatory age of 70.
The jurist specifically called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to address the practice of politicians sending cows, rams and other gifts to judges, describing it as inappropriate and demeaning.
“Why should a politician send a ram, cow or other items to a Supreme Court Justice? It is unheard of in other countries,” Saulawa said.
He urged judicial officers across the country to uphold integrity, honesty, morality and contentment, stressing that judges must be wary of gifts that could create an obligation or influence their decisions.
The retiring Justice recalled an incident from his early years on the bench when a prominent businessman offered him a brand-new Peugeot 504 vehicle, which he rejected.
According to Saulawa, the businessman subsequently approached prominent traditional rulers and other influential personalities to persuade him to accept the vehicle, but he remained firm in his refusal.
Saulawa said the same businessman later appeared before him in a criminal case after being accused of assaulting a worker. He said the accused was convicted and fined, while the victim was awarded damages.
The Supreme Court Justice also recounted his experience during the political crisis surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
He disclosed that, while serving as Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, he travelled from Lagos to Kaduna to take control of the appellate court’s registry after conflicting court orders emerged over the conduct and announcement of the election results.
Saulawa said the crisis involved conflicting orders from courts in different parts of the country and alleged that the military was behind the “forum shopping” that produced the conflicting directives.
He said he acted on the instructions of the then President of the Court of Appeal, Justice M. M. A. Akanbi, and supervised the processing of appeals filed by the National Electoral Commission.
According to him, efforts to influence or infiltrate the judiciary during the crisis were resisted, after which the then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, annulled the election.
Saulawa maintained that the judiciary at the time did everything within its power to protect its independence.
Meanwhile, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, described Saulawa as “a man whose life has been defined by service.”
The CJN recalled an earlier experience involving both of them, saying they had jointly resisted an attempt to place personal benefit ahead of judicial duty.
She said the experience reinforced her respect for Saulawa’s commitment to the integrity of judicial office.
Justice Saulawa, who joined the Supreme Court in 2020, retired after more than four decades in the legal profession. The Supreme Court’s official records show that he began his judicial career as a magistrate in 1983 before serving as a High Court judge, Justice of the Court of Appeal and, eventually, Justice of the Supreme Court.
