Alleged 9.4BN Bribery: Abuja Based Lawyer, Sanni Abass Calls On CJN, AGF, NBA President, To Demand Withdrawal Of ICPC Publication

An Abuja based Legal Practitioner, Mr. Sanni Abass has described
as unsubstantiated, the publication of the Independent Corrupt
Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) that in 3 years, a
whopping sum of N9.4bn was given out as bribes to Judges by
Lawyers.

The Lawyer noted that the allegation is unsubstantiated with
evidence and points out to the fact that the Commission is not
doing its job properly.

He said, “I read the headline of a statement credited to the
Independent corrupt practices and other related offence commission
(Herein referred to as the Commission) with so much delight with
hope that when I read the full statement I would be convince and
super delighted that the agency is performing its lawful
function.

“I was super delighted by the caption of the statement not until
I cautioned myself to further read the content of the
publication.

“Upon reading through the statement issued by the agency, I was
utterly disappointed as the statement does not disclose any
reasonable facts capable or worth believing, the statement can be
best described as a beer parlor discussion aimed as weeping the
sentiments of the public to show either that the commission is
working or to show that the commission still exist.”

Furthermore, he stated that the Commission has not been able to
disclose the relevant details than making a general allegation,
noting that the “statement further goes to confirm that the
commission know about the existence of some lawyers corrupting
judge and has failed to carry out her primary function of
investigation and also possible charging such person to a law court
rather the commission decided to issue out a statement that does
not disclose:

1. The name of the lawyers corrupting judges.
2. The judges being bribed by lawyers
3. The lawyers and Judges that have been investigated and charged
to court.
4. The lawyers and judges that have been convicted.”

“It is only when the statement of the commission contains these
facts then the public can now go back and commend the commission
but the act of issuing a worthless and empty statement shows that
the commission has failed in carrying out the duty vested in the
commission by the act establishing the commission and has resorted
to mere hearsay and such cannot be relied upon”, he added.

However, he said the Commission can at best be said to have
brought the Legal Profession to a state of ridicule because the
publication has painted the profession black.

He said “the commission has also rendered the entire members of
the Nigerian Bar Association as being corrupt, the members of the
bench as being corrupt and the entire judicial system as being
corrupt without placing on record one single lawyer or a judge
whose account has been investigated and found culpable”, further
adding that in the absence of the above facts, “then the commission
has failed whoofly in properly carrying out its primary function
and had resorted to cheap blackmail.”

Finally, he has called on the CJN, AGF and NBA President to
immediately demand a withdrawal of the publication.

“I hereby urge the president of the Nigeria Bar Association, the
Honorable Attorney General & the Chief Justice of Nigeria to call
the commission to order and also demand for the immediate
withdrawal of the statement issued by the commission as same is
highly insulting and highly derogatory to our noble profession”, he
concluded.

Nairalaw recalls that the ICPC had earlier issued
“Nigeria Corruption Index: Report
of a pilot survey”, where it claimed that the Nigerian Judiciary
tops Nigeria corruption index between 2018 and 2020.^[1]

Also, the Commission stated that N9, 457,650,000.00 (N9.457
billion) was offered and paid as bribe by Lawyers to Judges, adding
that six female judges, were allegedly offered N3, 307,444,000.00
(N3.307billion) while five male judges allegedly received N392,
220,000(N392.2million).

An Abuja based Legal Practitioner, Mr. Sanni Abass has described
as unsubstantiated, the publication of the Independent Corrupt
Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) that in 3 years, a
whopping sum of N9.4bn was given out as bribes to Judges by
Lawyers.

The Lawyer noted that the allegation is unsubstantiated with
evidence and points out to the fact that the Commission is not
doing its job properly.

He said, “I read the headline of a statement credited to the
Independent corrupt practices and other related offence commission
(Herein referred to as the Commission) with so much delight with
hope that when I read the full statement I would be convince and
super delighted that the agency is performing its lawful
function.

“I was super delighted by the caption of the statement not until
I cautioned myself to further read the content of the
publication.

“Upon reading through the statement issued by the agency, I was
utterly disappointed as the statement does not disclose any
reasonable facts capable or worth believing, the statement can be
best described as a beer parlor discussion aimed as weeping the
sentiments of the public to show either that the commission is
working or to show that the commission still exist.”

Furthermore, he stated that the Commission has not been able to
disclose the relevant details than making a general allegation,
noting that the “statement further goes to confirm that the
commission know about the existence of some lawyers corrupting
judge and has failed to carry out her primary function of
investigation and also possible charging such person to a law court
rather the commission decided to issue out a statement that does
not disclose:

1. The name of the lawyers corrupting judges.
2. The judges being bribed by lawyers
3. The lawyers and Judges that have been investigated and charged
to court.
4. The lawyers and judges that have been convicted.”

“It is only when the statement of the commission contains these
facts then the public can now go back and commend the commission
but the act of issuing a worthless and empty statement shows that
the commission has failed in carrying out the duty vested in the
commission by the act establishing the commission and has resorted
to mere hearsay and such cannot be relied upon”, he added.

However, he said the Commission can at best be said to have
brought the Legal Profession to a state of ridicule because the
publication has painted the profession black.

He said “the commission has also rendered the entire members of
the Nigerian Bar Association as being corrupt, the members of the
bench as being corrupt and the entire judicial system as being
corrupt without placing on record one single lawyer or a judge
whose account has been investigated and found culpable”, further
adding that in the absence of the above facts, “then the commission
has failed whoofly in properly carrying out its primary function
and had resorted to cheap blackmail.”

Finally, he has called on the CJN, AGF and NBA President to
immediately demand a withdrawal of the publication.

“I hereby urge the president of the Nigeria Bar Association, the
Honorable Attorney General & the Chief Justice of Nigeria to call
the commission to order and also demand for the immediate
withdrawal of the statement issued by the commission as same is
highly insulting and highly derogatory to our noble profession”, he
concluded.

Nairalaw recalls that the ICPC had earlier issued
“Nigeria Corruption Index: Report
of a pilot survey”, where it claimed that the Nigerian Judiciary
tops Nigeria corruption index between 2018 and 2020.^[1]

Also, the Commission stated that N9, 457,650,000.00 (N9.457
billion) was offered and paid as bribe by Lawyers to Judges, adding
that six female judges, were allegedly offered N3, 307,444,000.00
(N3.307billion) while five male judges allegedly received N392,
220,000(N392.2million).