A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, has called for swift arrests, public exposure and stiff sanctions against any lawyer or litigant who attempts to improperly influence judicial officers, warning that such acts pose a grave threat to the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system.
Okutepa, who is the lead prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, made the call while reacting to reports of alleged private approaches to Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the ongoing N8.7bn money laundering trial involving a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Speaking against the backdrop of a report by TheNigeriaLawyer, the senior lawyer urged judges to take firm and immediate action against offenders, including ordering their arrest.
“I think it is time for judicial officers to order the arrest of any lawyer or litigant who approaches them for judicial favour,” Okutepa said. “Since I was called to the Bar in 1991, I have never directly or indirectly approached any judicial officer for favour. Those who practise law must depart from iniquity.”
He also advocated a “naming and shaming” approach, insisting that ethical standards must be enforced to deter attempts to corrupt the judicial process.
Okutepa’s remarks followed Justice Nwite’s disclosure in open court that unidentified persons had made private approaches aimed at influencing his handling of the high-profile case.
The judge raised the alarm shortly after granting bail to the defendants, warning lawyers and litigants that he would not tolerate any improper conduct.
Justice Nwite reaffirmed his resolve to dispense justice without fear or favour and cautioned that any attempt to pervert the course of justice would be firmly resisted.
However, he did not name those allegedly involved or indicate whether the approaches came from the defence or prosecution.
Malami is standing trial alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz, on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, is being prosecuted by the EFCC, while Malami’s defence team is led by another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Joseph Daudu.
Following the judge’s disclosure, members of the legal community have called on him to petition the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for a full investigation into the alleged misconduct and appropriate sanctions against any culpable practitioner.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants engaged in suspicious financial transactions and used multiple bank accounts and property acquisitions across Abuja, Kano and Kebbi States to launder funds between 2015 and 2025, a period that covers Malami’s eight-year tenure as Attorney-General under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In one of the counts, the anti-graft agency accused Malami and his son of directing Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal more than N1bn in a Sterling Bank account between July 2022 and June 2025, knowing the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.
The court has issued an interim forfeiture order on 57 properties linked to the case, pending final determination. Malami has denied the allegations and was granted bail in the sum of N500m.
The trial has been adjourned to February 17, 2026, for commencement of hearing, as debate continues within legal and public circles over the need to protect the sanctity of the courts.
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