Nigerian judiciary not as corrupt as NBS report shows – NJC

Like the police, the National Judicial Council, NJC has refused
to accept the result of a survey that shows that the judiciary is
the second most corrupt institution in Nigeria.

The survey released last week was conducted by the National
Bureau of Statistics, NBS, with the support of the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crimes, UNODC.

The survey showed, among others, that the police was considered
the most corrupt institution by Nigerians, closely followed by the
judiciary (judges and lawyers).

While defending it members, the NJC, led by the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, described the report as speculative, in a
statement signed by its director of information, Soji Oye.

“The attention of the Nigerian Judiciary has been drawn to the
Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) in
conjunction with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) titled
“Corruption in Nigeria; Bribery: public experience and response –
2017”, alleging that the Judiciary is the second highest receiver
of bribes in the Country.

“The Judiciary finds the conclusion of the organisations not
only subjective but speculative.

“There is no denial of the fact that there are few bad eggs in
the Judiciary, like in every other arm of Government; at the same
time, there are many honest and hardworking Judicial Officers and
Magistrates making the Judiciary and the country proud.

“The question that should agitate the minds of the people is the
criteria used by the UNODC and the NBS to measure the level of
bribe taking in the Judiciary to grade it as the second largest
receiver of bribe. For instance, what is the percentage of Judges
caught receiving bribe out of a total number of One Thousand and
Fifty-Nine Judges in both the Federal and State Judiciaries?

“What is the percentage of Magistrates caught taking bribe from
an estimated total number of Four Thousand (4,000) in the country?
the NJC queried.

The NJC further said the number of judges prosecuted for bribery
related offenses should have also been stated in the processes that
resulted to the compilation of the report.

“How many Judges or Magistrates have been arrested and/or
prosecuted and convicted of corruption till date to deduce such
conclusions?

“One then wonders the criteria used by the organisations to
arrive at the conclusion,” the statement said.

The NJC added that the judiciary is the only arm of government
that investigates and disciplines it’s officials, adding that the
council has made several recommendations for dismissal of judges
found culpable following investigations into allegations ‘s of
crime.

“It should be noted that the Judiciary is the only arm of
Government that has been investigating its Judicial Officers and
dealt appropriately with those found guilty by dismissal or removal
from office, subject to approval for such recommendation from the
President or the Governor of a State as the case may be, and
publish such in electronic and print media for the consumption of
the public.

“Members of the general public are also aware that the NJC has
been recommending Judges found guilty of corrupt practices to the
appropriate security agencies for prosecution.

It is unfortunate that this orchestrated allegation is coming at
a time the current Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the
National Judicial Council, Hon. Justice W.S.N. Onnoghen, GCON, is
making frantic efforts to stamp out corruption, restructure the
Judiciary and also give the Nigerian Legal System a new lease of
life for the Rule of Law to take its firm roots in the Country.

“The Judiciary calls on the general public to disregard the
aforestated allegation as it is untrue, baseless, unfounded and a
figment of the Agencies’ imagination.

“The National Judicial Council as usual calls on members of the
public to forward written petitions against any Judicial Officer
found soliciting or receiving bribes or otherwise engaging in
conducts unbecoming of a Judicial Officer to the National Judicial
Council for appropriate action.”

Earlier, the Nigerian Police had also refused to accept the
report.

Contrary to the claim of the NJC, however, the
report was the outcome of a survey of Nigerians conducted
across the country.

The survey asked respondents if they had ever given or been
asked to give bribes, if they had ever taken or been offered
bribes, which public officials made such requests and so on.

The result showed that an overwhelming percentage of Nigerians
(94.7 per cent) will accept a bribe when offered or pay a bribe
when demanded.

The survey revealed that that the frequency of bribery was more
among police officers (46.4 percent). Incident of bribery in the
judiciary comes at a close second after the police with prosecutors
and judges flagged as being among the most corrupt. Prevalence of
bribery among prosecutors was put at 33.6 per cent, and
judges/magistrates at 31.5 per cent.

Like the police, the National Judicial Council, NJC has refused
to accept the result of a survey that shows that the judiciary is
the second most corrupt institution in Nigeria.

The survey released last week was conducted by the National
Bureau of Statistics, NBS, with the support of the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crimes, UNODC.

The survey showed, among others, that the police was considered
the most corrupt institution by Nigerians, closely followed by the
judiciary (judges and lawyers).

While defending it members, the NJC, led by the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, described the report as speculative, in a
statement signed by its director of information, Soji Oye.

“The attention of the Nigerian Judiciary has been drawn to the
Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) in
conjunction with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) titled
“Corruption in Nigeria; Bribery: public experience and response –
2017”, alleging that the Judiciary is the second highest receiver
of bribes in the Country.

“The Judiciary finds the conclusion of the organisations not
only subjective but speculative.

“There is no denial of the fact that there are few bad eggs in
the Judiciary, like in every other arm of Government; at the same
time, there are many honest and hardworking Judicial Officers and
Magistrates making the Judiciary and the country proud.

“The question that should agitate the minds of the people is the
criteria used by the UNODC and the NBS to measure the level of
bribe taking in the Judiciary to grade it as the second largest
receiver of bribe. For instance, what is the percentage of Judges
caught receiving bribe out of a total number of One Thousand and
Fifty-Nine Judges in both the Federal and State Judiciaries?

“What is the percentage of Magistrates caught taking bribe from
an estimated total number of Four Thousand (4,000) in the country?
the NJC queried.

The NJC further said the number of judges prosecuted for bribery
related offenses should have also been stated in the processes that
resulted to the compilation of the report.

“How many Judges or Magistrates have been arrested and/or
prosecuted and convicted of corruption till date to deduce such
conclusions?

“One then wonders the criteria used by the organisations to
arrive at the conclusion,” the statement said.

The NJC added that the judiciary is the only arm of government
that investigates and disciplines it’s officials, adding that the
council has made several recommendations for dismissal of judges
found culpable following investigations into allegations ‘s of
crime.

“It should be noted that the Judiciary is the only arm of
Government that has been investigating its Judicial Officers and
dealt appropriately with those found guilty by dismissal or removal
from office, subject to approval for such recommendation from the
President or the Governor of a State as the case may be, and
publish such in electronic and print media for the consumption of
the public.

“Members of the general public are also aware that the NJC has
been recommending Judges found guilty of corrupt practices to the
appropriate security agencies for prosecution.

It is unfortunate that this orchestrated allegation is coming at
a time the current Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the
National Judicial Council, Hon. Justice W.S.N. Onnoghen, GCON, is
making frantic efforts to stamp out corruption, restructure the
Judiciary and also give the Nigerian Legal System a new lease of
life for the Rule of Law to take its firm roots in the Country.

“The Judiciary calls on the general public to disregard the
aforestated allegation as it is untrue, baseless, unfounded and a
figment of the Agencies’ imagination.

“The National Judicial Council as usual calls on members of the
public to forward written petitions against any Judicial Officer
found soliciting or receiving bribes or otherwise engaging in
conducts unbecoming of a Judicial Officer to the National Judicial
Council for appropriate action.”

Earlier, the Nigerian Police had also refused to accept the
report.

Contrary to the claim of the NJC, however, the
report was the outcome of a survey of Nigerians conducted
across the country.

The survey asked respondents if they had ever given or been
asked to give bribes, if they had ever taken or been offered
bribes, which public officials made such requests and so on.

The result showed that an overwhelming percentage of Nigerians
(94.7 per cent) will accept a bribe when offered or pay a bribe
when demanded.

The survey revealed that that the frequency of bribery was more
among police officers (46.4 percent). Incident of bribery in the
judiciary comes at a close second after the police with prosecutors
and judges flagged as being among the most corrupt. Prevalence of
bribery among prosecutors was put at 33.6 per cent, and
judges/magistrates at 31.5 per cent.