Renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Jibrin Sam Okutepa, has raised alarm over what he describes as a nationwide culture of lawlessness and disregard for justice, pointing fingers at all arms of government and the general public.
In a strongly worded statement, Okutepa lamented that the rule of law in Nigeria has been systematically eroded, with lawyers, judges, the executive, legislators, and citizens alike complicit in ignoring legal and ethical standards.
“Lawyers don’t obey the law. The judiciary doesn’t. The executive doesn’t. The legislative arm doesn’t. Nigerians don’t. In one way or another, we are each lawless,” he declared.
The senior advocate also criticized the quality of court judgments, arguing that many lack the fundamental elements of justice. He expressed concern that court rulings are often delayed in documentation, describing the judiciary’s operations as inefficient and unresponsive.
“Judgments of courts in most cases are not ready for collection days after pronouncements. Terrible society. Nothing seems to be done in the right way and we are all guilty of the iniquities,” he added.
Okutepa did not spare the political class either. He accused the judiciary of enabling political manipulation by endorsing what he termed “political rascality” in the electoral process. According to him, judicial decisions have increasingly disregarded the will of the people, undermining the essence of democracy.
“The authority of the people in the choice of leadership in Nigeria is seriously undermined by judicial stamps of authority always given to political rascality,” he said, warning that “the people’s choices matter not to those who forced themselves on us.”
Concluding his remarks, the SAN warned that Nigeria cannot progress under a system where “anything goes,” noting that lawlessness has become normalized in society.
“In a way, we have all chosen to be lawless and lawlessness has become the way of life for most Nigerians. It is terrible. No more values,” he said.
