A young boy, Segun Olowookere, was sentenced to death by hanging for stealing a fowl and eggs in Osun State, Nigeria. For 14 years, he languished in prison until the governor of Osun State intervened on 17th December, 2024 to grant him a pardon. He was sentenced alongside Morakinyo Sunday, an accomplice, with whom he allegedly committed the crime using weapons. I have read thoughts justifying that crime of armed robbery are punishable by death and how the case above ended is very worrisome. However, this tragic case shows the dysfunction and moral failings of the Nigerian judicial system, where those entrusted with upholding justice often become its greatest threats. It is unthinkable that judges, lawyers, and court officials are the greatest threats to the justice system in Nigeria.
The challenge is not new. In 2004, justices Matilda Adamu, Anthony Elelegwu, O.J. Isede, and Tanimu Mahmoud were dismissed for accepting bribes to influence the decisions of a Nigerian election tribunal. Similarly, in 2018, the National Judicial Council (NJC) recommended the dismissal of Judges Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and James Agbadu-Fishim. According to the NJC’s report, “several personalities, individuals, government officials, and business partners lodged funds into various accounts belonging to Hon. Judge Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia.” Agbadu-Fishim, too, was found to have “received various sums of money from litigants and lawyers that had cases before him.” This piece does not suggest that the judge, in the case above, was also induced to jail the young Nigerians. It only points to the systemic abnormalities in our judiciary. The pattern is distressing, with an alarming number of judicial officers indicted for misconduct over the years. Even in 2024, judges continue to face sacking, warnings or forced retirement for unethical practices. These are facts that are public knowledge but often ignored.
In Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ)’S report, “a 2023 observation by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) found that judges were Nigeria’s biggest bribe recipients, collecting N721 billion in cash bribes.” Despite these scandals, Nigerians seem fixated on needing voices like Dele Farotimi to highlight the corruption in the judiciary, as though his words present revelations rather than affirming what we already know and experience firsthand. Similarly, Kemi Badenoch’s statements on the state of Nigeria present sentiments that are far from new, notwithstanding her colonial mentality. These are truths we see daily yet shy away from confronting, revealing a society that claims to love justice but remains complicit in its failure.
Returning to the case of Segun Olowookere, the question remains: how does the nation compensate for the 14 years stolen from his life? How does it repair the damage done to his family, his future, and his dignity? This is not just about Segun. It is an indictment of a system that fails its citizens, especially the most vulnerable. Without systemic reforms and accountability, similar injustices will persist, leaving more lives irreparably damaged. How many more individuals like Segun Olowookere are languishing in prisons, forgotten by society and trapped in a system that prioritises punishment over justice? How many innocent lives are wasting away due to the negligence, corruption, and inefficiency of the judicial system? And how many judicial officers continue to enrich themselves at the expense of the innocent, feeding fat on the blood of vulnerable Nigerians? How can we claim to uphold the rule of law when the very custodians of justice betray its principles?
Segun Olowookere’s judgement was delivered by Justice Jide Falola. In 2019, in a conspiracy with court officials in Osun State, he was allegedly implicated in a fraudulent court activity where he shared over 16 million naira. He was also accused of prostrating himself before a lawyer with a promise to return his own share of the proceeds when issues went out of hand.
In 2023, the NJC found him guilty of corruption and recommended him for compulsory retirement. It is high time the Nigerian legal system dropped that colonial wig and other antiquated symbolic remnants; let us think for ourselves, a justice system that truly serves the people, rooted in fairness and equity.
Matthew Alugbin wrote from Edo State University, Uzairue
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