Court Condemns “Irresponsible Counsel” for Attempting to Reopen Closed Case
The Supreme Court has handed down a landmark N50 million fine against lawyer S.M. Danyaro for filing what justices called a “vexatious” application seeking to review the court’s final judgment on the Gwandu emirate dispute a case that had already concluded after 20 years of legal battles.
No Second Chances: Court Refuses to Reopen Final Judgment
In a unanimous ruling delivered on May 15, 2026, the five-member panel dismissed Danyaro’s application, which sought to overturn the June 2025 judgment that declared Muhammadu Iliyasu Bashar as the rightful Emir of Gwandu.
The court made it clear: the Supreme Court is “not a forum that can be invited to reconstitute itself because a party is dissatisfied with its judgment.”
A Costly Lesson in Legal Frivolity
Justice Jamilu Tukur, who delivered the lead judgment, ordered Danyaro to personally pay N50 million to the respondents within 90 days and barred him from appearing before the court until payment is made.
Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme didn’t mince words, calling Danyaro an “irresponsible counsel” who “degenerated to a level unprecedented” and filed an application that was “bereft of common sense.”
Why the Application Failed
· Order 20 Rule 4 only allows correction of clerical errors not reopening concluded cases
· The Supreme Court’s decisions are final, binding, and not subject to review
· The application was a “direct invitation to repudiate [the court’s] own authority.”
