• Warns Nigeria’s justice system is failing investors and the poor

Nigeria’s judiciary is locked in a crisis of delay, technical obsession and misplaced priorities that is choking economic growth, eroding public trust and entrenching inequality, senior lawyer Fidelis Oditah KC, SAN warned on Monday.

Delivering a keynote address at the 40th Call to the Bar anniversary celebration of his 1985 Nigerian law School set at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos, Oditah said Nigeria’s courts have become gridlocked by decades-long litigation, procedural ambushes and what he described as a self-destructive fixation on technicalities over justice.

“The problem in Nigeria is not access to justice,” he said. “It is exit from justice.”

Oditah argued that while the judiciary should be a driver of democracy, economic development and social cohesion, it has instead become a bottleneck that discourages investment, prolongs disputes and denies ordinary Nigerians meaningful remedies.

He cited cases that lasted between 20 and 70 years, including the landmark Okafor v Nweke land dispute, which began in 1955 and ended in 2025 after seven decades of litigation, not on the merits but because court documents were signed in the name of a law firm rather than an individual lawyer.

“This is hyper-technicality at its most destructive,” Oditah said, warning that Nigerian courts increasingly nullify entire proceedings over procedural defects that should be curable.

He traced the gridlock to chronic underfunding, weak case management, outdated infrastructure, political interference in judicial appointments, and what he described as a dangerous conflation of jurisdiction and admissibility.

According to Oditah, Nigerian courts routinely treat procedural irregularities—such as signing errors, filing defects or failure to meet preconditions—as jurisdictional flaws, rendering years of litigation worthless.

“This misunderstanding of jurisdiction is strangling our justice system,” he said, adding that many issues wrongly labelled as jurisdictional should instead be treated as matters of admissibility, which can be waived.

The senior advocate also criticised the culture of endless interlocutory appeals and adjournments, describing them as weapons in an “unending war of attrition” that benefits delay over resolution.

But the most damaging distortion, Oditah said, is the elevation of electoral and political litigation above all other forms of justice.

He noted that constitutional timelines and special tribunals ensure election disputes are resolved within months, while land, commercial, labour and human rights cases languish for years or decades.

“This has created a two-tier justice system,” he said, “where politically connected litigants get fast-track justice and ordinary Nigerians get trapped in procedural quicksand.”

He cited data showing that thousands of judges were diverted to election tribunals during the 2023 general elections, forcing the suspension of regular court business nationwide. In contrast, socio-economic disputes affecting livelihoods, businesses and property rights were left unresolved.

The consequences, Oditah warned, are severe.

Judicial delay discourages domestic and foreign investment, weakens contract enforcement, cripples small and medium-sized businesses and fuels capital flight. He pointed to long-running commercial disputes involving aircraft leases, oil contracts and arbitral awards that have remained unresolved for more than a decade.

International observers have taken notice. Nigerian courts have been described by foreign judges as “catastrophic,” “sclerotic” and “hyper-technical,” damaging the country’s reputation as a place to do business.

Beyond economics, Oditah said the gridlock undermines democracy itself.

“When citizens lose faith in the courts, they turn to self-help, mob justice and violence,” he warned. “That is how the rule of law collapses.”

He also criticised Nigeria’s derisory cost regime, arguing that token cost awards encourage frivolous litigation and penalise successful parties, unlike arbitration where losing parties routinely pay millions in legal costs.

To reverse the crisis, Oditah proposed sweeping reforms, including better funding, zero tolerance for judicial corruption, stronger case management, limits on interlocutory appeals, clearer jurisdictional boundaries between courts, realistic cost awards, and a merit-based judicial appointment system free from political patronage.

He said many of the solutions are “low-hanging fruits” that require judicial courage rather than constitutional amendments.

“Our justice system will not fix itself,” Oditah said. “Credible justice is the product of deliberate choices. Unless we make those choices, no amount of funding will cure the gridlock.”

58-year-old former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, Cedric Lodge, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing and selling human body parts donated for scientific research, according to the United States Department of Justice.

Lodge was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty in May to trafficking in stolen human remains. 

Prosecutors said the illegal activity occurred from 2018 through at least March 2020 and involved body parts including internal organs, brains, skin, hands, faces and dissected heads, according to CBS News.

The Justice Department said Lodge abused his position at the prestigious medical school, which is located near Boston, to remove donated remains without authorization. 

Harvard University confirmed that Lodge was dismissed from his role in May 2023 following the investigation.

Investigators revealed that Lodge, alongside his wife, Denise Lodge, transported the stolen body parts from the medical school to their residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, as well as to other locations in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. 

The remains were taken “without the knowledge or permission of his employer, the donor, or the donor’s family” before being shipped to buyers in other states.

Denise Lodge, 65, was sentenced to one year in prison, the Justice Department said. She pleaded guilty in April 2024 for her role in the scheme.

Reacting to the sentencing, Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, said, “Today’s sentencing is another step forward in ensuring those who orchestrated and executed this heinous crime are brought to justice.”

Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, also condemned the crimes, saying, “The trafficking of stolen human remains through the US Mail is a disturbing act that victimises already grieving families while also creating a potentially hazardous situation for Postal employees and customers. 

“I hope our efforts, and these sentencings bring some amount of closure to those affected by this terrible crime.”

According to the Justice Department, many of the human remains sold by Cedric Lodge were later resold by buyers at a profit. 

Authorities added that several of those involved in purchasing the stolen remains have already been sentenced to jail terms or are still awaiting sentencing.

SaharaReporters

The family of Akubo Lovelyn John and the management of Gynescope Specialist Hospital in Lagos are locked in a dispute over her death hours after childbirth.

Lovelyn, who gave birth at the private facility, died in the early hours of December 4, 2025. Her family alleges medical negligence, delayed referral and mishandling during a medical emergency. The hospital strongly denies the claims.

Speaking at a press briefing in Ikeja on Tuesday, her husband, Justice John, described the death as avoidable. He said the couple had been married for less than a year.

John said his wife registered for antenatal care at the hospital in her 13th week of pregnancy. He said they attended all appointments and paid N450,000 for antenatal services, excluding external tests requested by the hospital.

“All tests came back normal,” he said. “My wife had no underlying health condition before or during pregnancy.”

He said concerns were raised during the third trimester about the baby’s size. John said he suggested an elective caesarean section, but the attending consultant dismissed the option and assured them vaginal delivery was safe.

Lovelyn went into labour on December 1 and was admitted the following day. By December 3, she was moved to the labour ward and labour was induced, John said.

She delivered vaginally later that day. The baby weighed 4.2 kilograms, a size classified medically as fetal macrosomia.

John said his wife soon complained of internal fluid movement and began bleeding. He alleged that her condition deteriorated rapidly.

“She became pale and unconscious while the bleeding continued,” he said. “Five pints of blood were infused without identifying the source of the bleeding.”

John alleged there was a 15-hour gap between delivery and his wife’s death. He said the hospital delayed referring her to another facility.

He also alleged that she fell from a stretcher while being moved from the third floor during referral preparations. He demanded the release of CCTV footage from the hospital.

John called on the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Lagos State Government to investigate the incident.

Officials of the Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos Branch, also called for a probe. The NBA chairman, Uchenna Akingbade, said the association would support efforts to establish the facts.

Gynescope Specialist Hospital rejected the allegations.

Speaking by phone, Professor Jude Okohue said the hospital acted appropriately and promptly. He denied claims of delayed referral or negligence.

“It is not true that she was not referred on time,” Okohue said. “Before referral, a patient must be stabilised, and that was what we did.”

He said Lovelyn delivered successfully and was stable for hours afterward. According to him, complications developed later in the evening.

“She even ate pepper soup brought by a relative,” he said. “Then we noticed abnormal bleeding.”

Okohue said two hospital staff donated blood in an effort to save her life. He described the bleeding as unusual and unrelated directly to pregnancy.

He denied claims that she fell from a stretcher. He said she insisted on using the toilet despite being advised otherwise and was assisted by staff.

Okohue said the family requested an autopsy at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. He welcomed a coroner’s inquest.

“We have nothing to hide,” he said. “We did not commit any infraction.”

He added that he visited the family after the incident and was surprised by the public accusations.

As investigations are awaited, the case has raised fresh concerns over maternal care, emergency response and accountability in private healthcare facilities.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and rein in the Inspector General of Police (IGP), warning that the planned resumption of enforcement of the controversial Tinted Glass Permit policy amounts to contempt of court and an unjustified burden on Nigerians.

At a press conference in Abuja, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, condemned the Nigeria Police Force’s announcement that enforcement of the suspended policy would resume on January 2, 2026, describing the move as unlawful, extortionate and reckless while litigation over the policy remains before the courts.

Osigwe said the decision directly contradicts an understanding reached between the NBA and the police, as well as ongoing proceedings at the Federal High Court.

“The planned resumption of enforcement is against the grain of an ongoing court case and an understanding reached between the Nigerian Bar Association and the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.

He accused the police of transforming a law enforcement function into a revenue-generating scheme. “The Nigeria Police Force is not established to generate revenue,” Osigwe said, adding that the policy’s structure raises serious transparency concerns.

According to the NBA, payments for the permit are allegedly being made into a private account rather than a government-approved revenue channel, with no clarity on how funds are managed or what became of previously issued permits.

“If this policy is truly about security, why are earlier permits suddenly invalid?” Osigwe asked. “Why must Nigerians renew them? What this does is empower officers on the roads to extort and harass civilians.”

The NBA also criticised the timing of the announcement, saying it was designed to pressure Nigerians during the festive season.

“Nigerians are already groaning under harsh economic conditions, struggling to travel and provide for their families,” Osigwe said. “Now they are being compelled to submit to an extortionate process to obtain a so-called permit.”

He questioned why, if legitimate, the permit could not be integrated into routine vehicle documentation during registration or renewal, describing the policy as opaque and poorly justified.

The association said the matter is already before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where hearings have been concluded and judgment reserved. It warned that any attempt to enforce the policy before a ruling is delivered could amount to contempt of court.

In a detailed statement, the NBA said its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) filed Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025 on September 2, 2025, challenging the legality of the policy and the police’s authority to impose fees on citizens.

The suit argues that the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991 is a military-era law incompatible with the 1999 Constitution and that its enforcement would trigger widespread extortion, given what the NBA described as the police’s long record of abuse, harassment and misconduct.

The NBA further warned that the levy adds to Nigeria’s growing tax burden, undermines investor confidence and contradicts tax reform measures scheduled to take effect in January 2026.

The association also cited an October 3 order of the Federal High Court in Warri directing parties to maintain the status quo in a related suit, an order it said prompted an agreement with the police to suspend enforcement pending judicial determination.

It described the Force Public Relations Officer’s announcement of a January 2 resumption as “shocking and disturbing” and evidence of “a troubling disregard for the rule of law.”

The NBA warned that it would initiate contempt proceedings against the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, and police spokesperson CSP Benjamin Hundeyin if enforcement resumes. It also directed its branches and Human Rights Committee to provide immediate legal assistance to any Nigerian harassed or arrested under the policy.

Osigwe stressed that representations made in open court by police counsel constitute binding judicial undertakings, warning that any deviation would amount to overreaching the court, as established by the Supreme Court.

The NBA called on President Tinubu to intervene, warning that resuming enforcement would not only undermine the judiciary but impose fresh economic hardship on Nigerians already under strain.

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has formally petitioned Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, accusing the head of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of corruption, abuse of office and illicit enrichment.

In a petition submitted on December 16 to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dangote urged the agency to investigate, arrest and prosecute the NMDPRA’s Managing Director, Ahmed Farouk, over allegations that he is living far beyond his legitimate income as a public official.

The petition, written on Dangote’s behalf by senior advocate Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, and addressed to ICPC Chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, alleges that Farouk spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland over six years—payments Dangote claims are inconsistent with Farouk’s earnings in public service.

According to the petition, the fees were paid upfront and covered tuition at multiple Swiss institutions. Dangote provided the names of the children, their schools and the specific amounts allegedly paid, urging the ICPC to verify the claims through a full financial investigation.

Dangote further alleged that Farouk used his position at the NMDPRA to divert public funds for personal benefit, actions he said have fueled public anger and protests directed at the regulatory authority in recent months.

The industrialist argued that Farouk has spent his entire adult life in Nigeria’s public sector and could not have lawfully accumulated the resources required to fund such expenses.

“It is without doubt that the above facts amount to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement,” the petition states, adding that such offences fall squarely within the ICPC’s statutory powers under Section 19 of its enabling Act.

The petition noted that a conviction under the Act carries a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment without an option of a fine.

Dangote urged the ICPC to act decisively, saying the matter has entered the public domain and poses reputational risks to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu if left unresolved.

“We have no reservation that the Commission, under your leadership, will not close its eyes to these allegations but will act to ensure justice is done,” the petition said.

Dangote also pledged full cooperation with investigators, stating that he is prepared to present documentary and testimonial evidence to support claims of corrupt enrichment, abuse of office and impunity against the NMDPRA chief.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Farouk Ahmed nor the NMDPRA had issued a public response to the allegations.