The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to establish a robust, transparent and time-bound internal anti-corruption mechanism to work closely with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate, expose and prosecute judicial officers credibly implicated in corruption.
HURIWA says the disturbing warning by retired Supreme Court Justice Amina Adamu Augie that corruption is turning Nigerian courts into “market stalls” captures the depth of the crisis confronting the nation’s justice system and reinforces the urgent need for decisive institutional action.
The association warns that judicial corruption represents a grave threat to public confidence, constitutional democracy and the peaceful resolution of disputes in Nigeria. When citizens begin to perceive the courts as commercial outlets where justice goes to the highest bidder, the very foundation of the rule of law becomes endangered.
HURIWA says Nigeria cannot afford to allow this dangerous erosion of public confidence to persist, particularly as the country approaches another election cycle. If citizens lose faith in the ability of the judiciary to deliver impartial justice, aggrieved individuals and groups may increasingly contemplate self-help, with potentially devastating consequences for national stability, democratic governance and social cohesion.
The association cautions that no democracy can survive sustainably when its citizens lose confidence in the institutions responsible for protecting their rights, resolving disputes and holding public officials accountable.
HURIWA therefore demands that the NJC stop treating judicial corruption as an exclusively internal disciplinary matter whenever credible evidence points to possible criminal conduct. While acknowledging the constitutional and administrative responsibilities of the NJC, the association insists that these responsibilities must not become a procedural shield against criminal investigation and prosecution by legally empowered anti-graft agencies.
HURIWA calls on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, as Chairman of the NJC, to initiate an urgent institutional framework with clear timelines for examining corruption complaints against judicial officers. The framework should ensure that credible cases involving suspected bribery, abuse of office, illicit enrichment and other criminal offences reach the appropriate investigative authorities without unnecessary delay.
The association says the NJC must act decisively on petitions against judicial officers and promptly refer matters requiring criminal investigation to the EFCC and ICPC, in accordance with the law. Administrative disciplinary proceedings must complement, rather than frustrate, legitimate criminal investigations and prosecutions.
HURIWA maintains that the fight against corruption must not stop at the doors of the judiciary. Judges occupy positions of extraordinary public trust, and their authority carries an equally extraordinary obligation to uphold integrity, impartiality and accountability. Any judicial officer who abuses that trust for personal enrichment must face the full consequences of the law if the evidence establishes criminal wrongdoing.
The association urges the EFCC and ICPC to discharge their statutory responsibilities without fear or favour, including in cases involving powerful judicial officers. HURIWA says the agencies must neither intimidate independent judges nor permit the prestige of judicial office to obstruct lawful investigations.
At the same time, the association stresses that every accused judicial officer remains entitled to due process, a fair hearing and the presumption of innocence. HURIWA says the objective must be to identify, investigate and punish proven misconduct, not to undermine judicial independence or expose honest judges to politically motivated attacks.
HURIWA says the distinction is fundamental: judicial independence must protect judges from improper interference, not provide cover for corruption.
The association also calls for stronger institutional safeguards against the manipulation of court proceedings, the deliberate frustration of cases, the sale of favourable judgments and other practices capable of turning the administration of justice into an instrument of privilege and oppression.
HURIWA notes that Justice Augie’s intervention highlights a wider institutional challenge. Inadequate funding, undue political interference, prolonged litigation and the high cost of accessing justice compound the damage caused by corruption. The association therefore urges the relevant authorities to strengthen judicial financial autonomy, modernise case management and improve access to affordable and timely justice.
However, HURIWA stresses that structural deficiencies must never become excuses for bribery or professional misconduct. The judiciary must confront corruption within its ranks with the same determination with which it expects other arms of government and members of the public to obey the law.
The association warns that public confidence cannot be restored through ceremonial declarations, public relations campaigns or the protection of influential offenders. It requires visible accountability, credible investigations, timely disciplinary decisions and prosecution where evidence supports criminal charges.
HURIWA calls on the NJC, the EFCC, the ICPC and the wider legal profession to demonstrate that no individual stands above the law and that the judiciary will not tolerate conduct capable of destroying its legitimacy.
The association says the consequences of institutional failure could be far-reaching. A justice system that citizens distrust may struggle to resolve political disputes peacefully, protect fundamental rights effectively and command voluntary obedience to its judgments. Such a development would endanger constitutional democracy and deepen Nigeria’s existing governance challenges.
HURIWA therefore declares that the time to decisively confront judicial corruption and bribery is now. Nigeria must not allow corruption to consume the judiciary from within and leave citizens without a credible institution to which they can turn for justice.
The association urges the NJC to act with urgency, the anti-graft agencies to investigate credible allegations professionally, and the legal profession to demonstrate zero tolerance for proven corruption, irrespective of the rank or influence of the offender.
HURIWA says Nigeria must rescue its judiciary from corruption before the collapse of public trust inflicts even greater damage on the rule of law and the country’s democratic future.
Signed:
Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko
National Coordinator
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA)
19 October 2026
