Bakare Seeks Judicial Reforms, Says Nigeria In Bondage

The Serving Overseer of Citadel Global, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Thursday called for immediate personal and institutional reforms to tackle widespread corruption within Nigeria’s justice sector.

The lawyer-turned-cleric described Nigeria’s justice sector as a haven of corruption, cautioning that both lawyers and judges must implement reforms to personal integrity or risk condemning the country to continued “bondage.”

Pastor Bakare spoke as the keynote speaker at the 22nd Chief Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture (Fawehinmism), hosted by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja Branch, on the theme “Integrity Deficiency in the Justice Sector: Whither the Legal Profession.”

He lamented that judges now view the bench as their ‘work-chop,’ citing political interference in judicial appointments and conflicting court rulings as serious problems confronting the sector.

Pastor Bakare stated that lawyers and judges should embrace “ethical lawyering” based on satisfaction, patience, and hard work, recognising their vital roles as protectors of the law.

The cleric maintained that reforms should begin at home, instilling values in law students first, then at universities and the Nigerian Law School, with an emphasis on ethics in their curricula.

He proposed incorporating “models of ethical lawyering” by sharing stories of honest practitioners to build moral integrity alongside legal expertise.

Pastor Bakare further recommended that the ICPC collaborate with the NBA and the National Judicial Council to conduct annual, data-driven audits to expose graft and inefficiency.

He said, “Judicial autonomy should be secured by a direct allocation from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, guaranteeing fair compensation, housing, and logistical support without relying on politicians, as required by the constitution.

“Judges and lawyers should follow the examples of icons like Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Justice Kayode Eso, and Justice Chukwudifu Oputa by engaging in principled activism to restore independence,” he stated.

While quoting Andrew Jackson and William Blackstone, Pastor Bakare insisted that even a flawed constitution can thrive under a virtuous judiciary, underscoring its role as the “last resort of the oppressed.”