The Nigerian Bar Association Anti-Corruption Committee (NBAA-CC) has warned that unresolved corruption allegations involving lawyers are undermining public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system and weakening the rule of law.
In a New Year message to mark the start of 2026 shared on Wednesday, the committee said that while the NBA recorded progress in institutionalising anti-corruption measures in 2025, prolonged silence and delays around high-profile corruption allegations posed serious risks to accountability and transparency.
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The committee’s chairman, Babafemi Badejo, said a major milestone in 2025 was the approval by the NBA National Executive Committee for the establishment of Anti-Corruption Committees at branch levels nationwide.
He said the decentralised structure was intended to strengthen grassroots engagement, localise ethical oversight, and embed anti-corruption vigilance across the legal profession.
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Mr Badejo also noted that the observance of World Anti-Corruption Day by several NBA branches in 2025 reflected growing professional commitment to public education and ethical conduct.
Looking ahead, he said the committee would intensify impact-driven interventions in 2026 through strategic partnerships, including collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria and engagement with credible civil society organisations to deliver training, public enlightenment, and technical support programmes.
However, Mr Badejo said the committee’s reflections were tempered by deep concern over developments capable of weakening public trust in legal and anti-corruption institutions.
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“However, our reflections are tempered by profound concern over developments that threaten to erode public trust in our legal and anti-corruption institutions.
“The protracted and highly publicised corruption cases involving legal practitioners have gone beyond private legal problems into a critical test of Nigeria’s commitment to accountability, transparency and the realisation of the rule of law,” he said.
According to Mr Badejo, prolonged and widely publicised corruption allegations involving lawyers have evolved beyond private legal disputes to become a broader test of Nigeria’s commitment to accountability and the rule of law.
He cited the 2025 case of Tali Shani v. Mike Ozekhome, which was adjudicated outside Nigeria and involved allegations of forged documents and identity manipulation, raising concerns about implications for Nigeria’s identity management and accountability systems.
Mr Badejo said while the Attorney-General of the Federation’s public announcement of an investigation into the matter was appropriate, but that yhe absence of follow-up communication, interim findings, or a clear timeline for conclusion was “damaging” to public confidence.
He added that such opacity undermined Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption, particularly provisions on transparency in public administration, civil society participation, and protection for whistleblowers.
The committee disclosed that it formally offered technical assistance to support a credible investigation into the allegations but received no response from relevant authorities, describing the lack of engagement as a missed opportunity to reinforce institutional integrity.
The NBA Anti-Corruption Committee also aligned itself with recent remarks by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on the central role of the rule of law in combating corruption, warning that the rule of law could not be sustained amid systemic corruption.
At the branch level, the committee reported modest progress in 2025. It said the Idemili Branch in Anambra State introduced awards recognising exemplary court registrars, while branches in Kaduna and Barnawa partnered with agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to conduct public sensitisation programmes in English and Hausa.
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The Ikorodu Branch was also cited for sustained anti-corruption advocacy.
For 2026, the committee said its priorities would include advocacy for transparent and time-bound investigations into corruption allegations involving legal practitioners, expanded ethics training for lawyers, stronger whistleblower protections, strategic litigation, and sustained policy engagement.
It also urged members of the legal profession to assess aspirants for NBA leadership positions based on integrity, policy clarity, and demonstrable commitment to combating corruption.
Mr Badejo said the committee remained committed to promoting accountability, transparency, and ethical conduct within the legal profession as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s justice system.
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