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Politicians Weaponising, Corrupting Judiciary In Nigeria – Odinkalu, CSOs, Others Kick
… Urge citizens to take action
Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, says the deteriorating integrity of Nigeria’s judiciary is driven by ‘politicization of Judicial appointments, lack of independence, amongst other issues.’
Prof. Odinkalu raised the concern during a radio town hall meeting on Public Sector Integrity in Nigeria, organized by the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development, PRIMORG, at the weekend in Abuja.
He said politicians have captured the Judiciary with the independence of the institution gone, stressing that Nigerians must understand that the judiciary has been politically weaponized and corrupted by elites.
The human rights activist insisted that the judiciary was no longer serving the purpose of the masses but politicians and their associates whose children, cronies, and mistresses were getting appointments to the Bench.
His words:” It is not suitable for the Chief Justice of Nigeria to appoint his nephew to the Court of Appeal and his son to the Federal High Court or for the President of the Court of Appeal to appoint her son-in-law to the Bench and her daughter appointed to Plateau State High Court where she comes from. We are looking for the same people to protect us, and something is fundamentally wrong with them and the masses.
“Everyone should understand that the judiciary has been captured, politically weaponized and corrupted.”
Asked if reforms can restore the deteriorating integrity of Nigeria’s judiciary, Odinkalu said:” There are no reforms that will work unless we (Nigerians) deepen the de-politicization of the judiciary. This is because they (politicians) have captured the administrative processes which should have been performed in disciplining the judiciary – the Chief Justice is the owner of that one.
“They’ve captured the politics. The judges and politicians use the executive arm of the government to unseat people they don’t like, putting the ones they like in power. They have also captured the legislative process. The legislators are afraid of the judges,” He stressed.
Prof Odinkalu called on Nigerians to understand the issues and realize their responsibilities, adding that citizens are not as disempowered as they think; hence, the onus is now on the people to go and get back the institution of justice that politicians and elites have captured.
Civil Society organizations and other participants during the town hall meeting spoke extensively on the administration of justice in Nigeria amidst a growing trust deficit.
Emmanuel Bosah, Programme Manager at Integrity Organisation, noted that a lot of political will is needed to cure the rot in the judiciary currently while calling for judicial reforms and citizens to be empowered with the knowledge to follow up and hold the system to account.
A public good advocate and Security and energy Consultant, Kevin Fyneface, called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, to come clean with appointments in the judiciary and work towards rebuilding the trust of the third arm of government. He lamented that Nigeria is deeply rooted in nepotism and cronyism, noting that “where cronyism thrives, you will find corruption as the order of the day.”
On his part, a public servant and 2020 Integrity icon, Philip Ezegbulam, advised his colleagues both at the federal and state levels to resist the temptation of corruption, while the Programme Manager of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Ehi Idakwo, urged Nigerians not to be docile but proactive to corruption issues of the nation.
“I think citizens are not angry enough. We need to be angry enough to take action. If everyone takes action in writing a letter, in coming out to the streets to protest, in calling their representatives to know details of what is due the citizens, those are the kinds of actions needed right now,” Ehi posited.
The PRIMORG’s Town Hall Meeting Against Corruption series is aimed at calling the public and government attention to specific issues of corruption in Nigeria.
The syndicated radio program runs with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
News
AWESSA 2026: Customs Assures Border Cooperation for Women Entrepreneurs
By James Samuel, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service has said the nation’s borders must become gateways of opportunity for African women entrepreneurs, not obstacles that kill their businesses.
This was disclosed at the African Women’s Economic Sovereignty Summit and Awards (AWESSA) 2026 held at the Customs House, corporate headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, his representative, an Assistant Controller, said hosting the summit inside Customs premises was deliberate.
“That this summit holds within the Customs premises is no accident. It is a statement of intent,” he said.
“The border is where the promise of every African trader either comes alive or dies quietly. And the men and women of this Service have resolved that for every woman entrepreneur of this continent, that promise will never die.”
He said women account for an estimated 70% of informal cross-border trade in Africa and over half of agricultural labour, yet they face documentation, standards, finance and harassment challenges.
“Too often she meets the border as an obstacle rather than a gateway. Because she trades in small volumes, in cash, in informality without formal papers, capable business women are now trapped in informality, invisible to trade statistics,” he noted.
He added: “AfCFTA will not be delivered by treaties alone. It will be delivered at border posts, in conference halls, and in market stores.”
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, represented by a Director, said women are central to Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.
According to her, NEPC’s focus is now on building export- ready competitive enterprises through programmes like the Women in Export Initiative, Export Clinic, and Zero to Export.
“Our focus is no longer on encouraging exports alone, it is on building competitive export-ready enterprises. We are supporting women to move beyond production into value addition, quality assurance, standard compliance, branding and market positioning,” she said.
She said AfCFTA offers a market of over one billion people, but women need knowledge, certifications and institutional support.
“Empowering women economically is one of the most effective tools for achieving poverty reduction, food security, job creation and inclusive growth,” she stated.
The Convener, Helen Okon, who is the Publisher of Business Review Africa & Africa Today Magazine, as well as representatives of NAFDAC DG and NEXIM Bank MD, reaffirmed commitment to supporting women-owned businesses access standards, certification and finance.
The summit, with the theme of positioning women as drivers of trade and sustainable development, is part of activities marking the International Year of the Women Farmer.
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