Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has feared that justice in Nigeria was slowly turning into a “purchasable commodity” in which the poor suffer while the rich escape scot-free.
Speaking as a guest speaker during the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference on Sunday in Enugu, the Sultan cautioned that corruption and inequality were eroding the credibility of the justice system.
“Justice these days is becoming increasingly a commodity that individuals can purchase, and poor people are the victims of such justice, but the rich engage in all types of crime and roam scot-free,” he said.
He commended the NBA for choosing the theme “Stand Out and Stand Tall”, terming it timely in challenging attorneys to stand by their professional duty. He called on the legal fraternity to remain steadfast in standing for rule of law, justice, and accountability.
The king reiterating that justice is the foundation of peaceful societies called for reforms to decolonise law, promote social justice, and improve access to legal services, especially to the weaker sections of society vulnerable to the rising cost of litigation.
While the majority of citizens were of the same opinion as the Sultan, stakeholders’ reactions were polarised.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and law lecturer, Dr. Wahab Shittu, described the statement as “unfortunate and unfair,” and the inference that there was for sale something called justice was much more “beer parlour gossip” than reality.
On the other hand, Comrade Bankole Solomon, Chairman of Civil Society Organisations and Pro-democracy Groups in Ogun State, defended the Sultan, stating that his words captured the reality of Nigeria. “Justice is now for the highest bidder,” Solomon complained, lamenting the rot in the judiciary.
The Sultan called on attendees of the NBA conference, who also had South African opposition leader Julius Malema, to speak to key governance matters, stating that in the absence of justice, Nigeria would never be secure and united.
