The Chairman, State, and House of Representatives election petition tribunal sitting in Kano Justice Flora Azinge has raised an alarm of an attempt to obstruct the cause of justice with financial inducement.
Although Justice Azinge has not categorically disclosed the identity of the individual lawyer trying to bribe the panel, she alleged that some senior lawyers arguing their petitions before the tribunal of unwholesome moves to corrupt the system.
Addressing the open court on Tuesday shortly before calling the first matter, Justice Azinge revealed how a senior member of the bar offered one of her staff a sum of N10 million bribes for onward delivery to the panel.
In her words, “money is flying, and it’s being rumoured that a staff was given N10 million bribe for the panel”.
The Chairman who is presently hearing matters cutting across all the political parties however warned that she would no longer take any attempt to bribe judges, saying that attempts to pervert the cause of justice through the back door is not tenable in her court.
This was the second time the judge would raise such a weighty allegation on how some lawyers prosecuting election matters before her are making frantic efforts to offer bribes to her.
She had accused a senior lawyer of asking her to provide an account to send Sallah gift.
The allegation of lawyers attempting to bribe the judges has however cast a shadow over Nigeria’s judicial system, a complex issue that threatens to erode the public’s trust in the pursuit of justice.
Reacting to the bribe allegation level against lawyers, a senior lawyer who preferred to remain anonymous regretted the open injury meted at the bar. The lawyer worried that the Judge’s comment has labelled all lawyers handling matters before the tribunal as potential culprits.
“We don’t know why the judge made such a general comment otherwise denting the image and credibility of all lawyers having cases before the panel,” he said.
“If a judge has such a weighty allegation against any lawyer the best thing was to expose and shame the culprit.
“Raising such alarm without being specific is as good as accusing the entire bar and I don’t think that is fair enough because the judge would have demoralized those that are not sleeping, working hard to defend their matters.
“And for those that have lost their case would now have every reason to doubt the ingenuity of the judgement. And I want to say issues concerning bribes are enough ground for the judge to withdraw herself from the panel.”
Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Kano state chapter, Barrister Sagir Sulaiman Gezawa appealed to the tribunal to unmask those behind the corrupt practice to redeem the image of morally incline lawyers before the panel.
Barr. Gezawa who spoke with The Guardian on the development however reassured that the NBA would not hesitate to ask take necessary disciplinary actions against any lawyer found with corruption tendencies.
“Well, it is what it is an allegation as the judge said that a lawyer offered to corrupt the system by offering a sum of N10 million. I want to say that given credible proof of evidence to this allegation, NBA will be ready to go any length to prosecute the case against any lawyer,” Gezawa said.
“There are so many means and channels that lawyers can be compelled to face disciplinary action if found guilty of charge after investigation.
“Let me also say that the NBA is equally ready to prosecute any petition found against lawyers at any Anti-corruption Agency because lawyers are not immune to prosecution.
“At the same time, my Lord would do the NBA a favour to kindly unmask those behind the atrocities to properly situate the matter and reduce the burden of the allegation on all the lawyers.”
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