A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun, has issued a stark warning that the growing perception that justice can be purchased in Nigeria represents a grave danger to democracy, the rule of law, and national stability. Delivering a lead paper titled “Justice for Sale: Who Truly Pays the Price?” at the 2026 Law Week of the Benin Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Edun argued that the commodification of justice has become one of the most pressing challenges facing Nigeria’s legal system.
National crisis beyond academic debate
The senior advocate described the notion of justice being influenced by wealth, political power, or social connections as a national crisis that extends far beyond academic debate and directly affects the daily lives of ordinary Nigerians. According to him, allegations that judicial outcomes and legal processes can be manipulated by money and influence have severely weakened public confidence in the judiciary and raised serious concerns about whether access to justice is still determined by the merits of a case.
“If justice is indeed for sale, who ultimately bears the cost?” he asked. “The poor litigant, the ethical lawyer, the judiciary, and society at large all become victims.”
Manifestations of commercialised justice
Edun noted that justice is compromised whenever judicial outcomes are improperly influenced, legal procedures are manipulated to secure unfair advantages, or access to the courts depends more on financial capacity than legal merit. The SAN identified bribery, judicial corruption, procedural abuse, delay tactics, and unequal access to quality legal representation as some of the major manifestations of what he termed the commercialisation of justice.
The senior advocate expressed deep concern over the rising cost of litigation, arguing that exorbitant filing fees, soaring legal expenses, and endless adjournments have made justice increasingly inaccessible to many Nigerians. He stressed that such barriers disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable, further entrenching inequality in the legal system.
Justice delivery halts in Enugu North
Meanwhile, the administration of justice has come to a complete halt in the Enugu North Senatorial District following an indefinite strike action declared by the NBA branches in Nsukka and Obollo-Afor. Legal practitioners created gridlock for several hours yesterday as they marched through the streets of Nsukka in protest over what they described as a systematic breakdown of justice delivery in the area, which comprises five judicial divisions: Obollo-Afor, Enugu-Ezike, Ogbede, Umulokpa, and others.
The lawyers were protesting against the alleged systematic abandonment of the courts, rampant administrative extortion, and a deeply flawed transition to virtual hearings that has left litigants stranded. Chairman of the NBA, Nsukka Branch, Christian Agbo, told journalists that the lawyers had been pushed to the wall after months of enduring agonising working conditions. He called on relevant authorities to address their grievances urgently to restore normalcy to the judicial process in the region.
