My Corruption Story – Bayo Akinlade

Corruption and its impact on our moral ethos is a topic that
generates interest among Nigerians. The scourge has crept into all
sectors including the judiciary. Livi Obijiofor once said,
“Corruption has blighted the Nigerian judiciary….”

The public perception of the Judicial arm of Government today is
at its lowest ebb. What is the way out? Mr. Bayo Akinlade, the
National Convener of the Fight Against Corruption in the Judiciary
is one man that has decided to confront the ugly trend in the
Judiciary.

Read his perspective on corruption in this write up he
titled “My Corruption, My Story”

I realized something that I had forgotten before. Why did I come
back to Nigeria 9 years ago? Why does the corruption in the
judiciary disgust me so? It came rushing back. Seeing the many
victims of corruption, seeing tears in the eyes of litigants when
registrars, prosecutors, judges and lawyers took all they had from
them and they still could not get justice. When I see lawyers bow
their heads in despair as their clients give large sums to court
officials while they are told to wait for their own paltry pay;
when I see lawyers walk the streets while the sheriffs, registrars
and other court officials drive cars to the homes they built with
money extorted from lawyers and litigants.

I have been laughed at, mocked and ridiculed by unprofessional
and less educated court officials who will boldly tell me that I
can’t get a service in court without parting with some money.
I still recall my first experience. It was sometime in 2010. The
first case I handled after relocating to Nigeria. I was briefed by
a family member to get me going. I was in the Sheriff’s Department,
Ikeja High Court where a sheriff of court treated me like crap. I
had gone to inquire about serving my process and he showed me my
process and told me bluntly that I must pay him before he goes to
serve the process and I must pay him before I collect the proof of
service. Nothing I said moved him. I tried to see the person in
charge but I was given the run around.

The final blow was when a senior lawyer that I knew in my
earlier days an Assistant Secretary of NBA LAGOS Branch told me
that I had no choice but to give them or my case will suffer. A
SENIOR LAWYER TOLD ME THAT? HE COULD NOT EVEN STAND WITH ME OR
SUPPORT ME!

Lawyers and litigants suffer because they have no choice? NO NO
NO! I HAVE A CHOICE, I AM A LAWYER and a MINISTER IN THE TEMPLE OF
JUSTICE, AN ADVOCATE, THIS JUDICIARY IS MY TERRITORY, MY WORK
SPACE, AN EXTENTION OF MY OFFICE, the Registrars are there to serve
me as my Secretary or my Clerk. They cannot dictate for me.

I began to find my feet, I told my clients, “I don’t do bribes,
your case may take time so, if you want it fast go get another
lawyer” and most of them did. I busted my butt for the less
privileged because the rich didn’t want someone who could not do
the ‘NEEDFUL’.

9 YEARS BACK IN NIGERIA I don’t even have a ‘tokunboh’ car BUT I
HAVE WHAT MONEY CANNOT BUY, WHAT NO MAN CAN TAKE AWAY FROM ME.

I will not sell my children’s future for the illusion of getting
them all they need now and some extra for the future. What about
the future of other children whose parents are not fortunate

THE MORE CORRUPTION THRIVES THE MORE WE LOOSE OUR SOUL AND OUR
FUTURE

I am BAYO AKINLADE ESQ, NATIONAL CONVENER OF FIACIJ

#IstandagainstcorruptionINtheJUDICIARY. WHERE DO YOU STAND?

Corruption and its impact on our moral ethos is a topic that
generates interest among Nigerians. The scourge has crept into all
sectors including the judiciary. Livi Obijiofor once said,
“Corruption has blighted the Nigerian judiciary….”

The public perception of the Judicial arm of Government today is
at its lowest ebb. What is the way out? Mr. Bayo Akinlade, the
National Convener of the Fight Against Corruption in the Judiciary
is one man that has decided to confront the ugly trend in the
Judiciary.

Read his perspective on corruption in this write up he
titled “My Corruption, My Story”

I realized something that I had forgotten before. Why did I come
back to Nigeria 9 years ago? Why does the corruption in the
judiciary disgust me so? It came rushing back. Seeing the many
victims of corruption, seeing tears in the eyes of litigants when
registrars, prosecutors, judges and lawyers took all they had from
them and they still could not get justice. When I see lawyers bow
their heads in despair as their clients give large sums to court
officials while they are told to wait for their own paltry pay;
when I see lawyers walk the streets while the sheriffs, registrars
and other court officials drive cars to the homes they built with
money extorted from lawyers and litigants.

I have been laughed at, mocked and ridiculed by unprofessional
and less educated court officials who will boldly tell me that I
can’t get a service in court without parting with some money.
I still recall my first experience. It was sometime in 2010. The
first case I handled after relocating to Nigeria. I was briefed by
a family member to get me going. I was in the Sheriff’s Department,
Ikeja High Court where a sheriff of court treated me like crap. I
had gone to inquire about serving my process and he showed me my
process and told me bluntly that I must pay him before he goes to
serve the process and I must pay him before I collect the proof of
service. Nothing I said moved him. I tried to see the person in
charge but I was given the run around.

The final blow was when a senior lawyer that I knew in my
earlier days an Assistant Secretary of NBA LAGOS Branch told me
that I had no choice but to give them or my case will suffer. A
SENIOR LAWYER TOLD ME THAT? HE COULD NOT EVEN STAND WITH ME OR
SUPPORT ME!

Lawyers and litigants suffer because they have no choice? NO NO
NO! I HAVE A CHOICE, I AM A LAWYER and a MINISTER IN THE TEMPLE OF
JUSTICE, AN ADVOCATE, THIS JUDICIARY IS MY TERRITORY, MY WORK
SPACE, AN EXTENTION OF MY OFFICE, the Registrars are there to serve
me as my Secretary or my Clerk. They cannot dictate for me.

I began to find my feet, I told my clients, “I don’t do bribes,
your case may take time so, if you want it fast go get another
lawyer” and most of them did. I busted my butt for the less
privileged because the rich didn’t want someone who could not do
the ‘NEEDFUL’.

9 YEARS BACK IN NIGERIA I don’t even have a ‘tokunboh’ car BUT I
HAVE WHAT MONEY CANNOT BUY, WHAT NO MAN CAN TAKE AWAY FROM ME.

I will not sell my children’s future for the illusion of getting
them all they need now and some extra for the future. What about
the future of other children whose parents are not fortunate

THE MORE CORRUPTION THRIVES THE MORE WE LOOSE OUR SOUL AND OUR
FUTURE

I am BAYO AKINLADE ESQ, NATIONAL CONVENER OF FIACIJ

#IstandagainstcorruptionINtheJUDICIARY. WHERE DO YOU STAND?