ABUJA, Nigeria — A retiring Nigerian Supreme Court justice has called for an end to politicians giving gifts to judges, warning that the practice threatens judicial independence and public confidence in the courts.
Justice Ibrahim Mohammed Musa Saulawa, who retired after reaching the mandatory age of 70, criticised the distribution of livestock and other gifts to judicial officers during a valedictory session at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
He urged Chief Justice of Nigeria Kudirat Kekere-Ekun to intervene, saying he had previously raised concerns about politicians presenting cows, rams, and other items to judges.
“Why should a politician send a ram, cow or other items to a Supreme Court Justice?” Saulawa asked.
He described such offerings as inappropriate and warned that accepting benefits from people with political or personal interests could compromise judicial impartiality.
Saulawa also criticised a practice in which politicians allegedly exaggerated the value of gifts, citing an instance involving a ram purchased for ₦200,000 but presented as costing ₦2 million.
The retired justice said judges should exercise restraint when offered gifts or invitations that could create doubts about their independence.
Justice Recalls Rejecting Peugeot From Influential Businessman
Saulawa described an incident from his time as a magistrate in Katsina involving a prominent businessman who offered him a new Peugeot 504.
The businessman, identified as Alhaji Ali Bagobiri, was involved in fuel and vehicle trading.
“Prior to the case, the Alhaji had donated to me a brand new Peugeot motor vehicle, which I flatly rejected,” Saulawa said.
The justice recounted that Bagobiri subsequently approached influential figures, including Emir Muhammadu Kabir Usman and District Head Balan Goggo, hoping they would persuade him to accept the vehicle.
Saulawa said he refused despite their intervention.
The businessman later appeared before him in a criminal case arising from an assault on an employee identified as Ahmad.
According to Saulawa’s account, Bagobiri and his associates had beaten the employee until he lost consciousness after the worker requested a loan to buy food.
The victim spent approximately two weeks receiving intensive medical treatment.
Saulawa said he found the defendants guilty and imposed fines of ₦7,000 each. The court also awarded the injured employee ₦10,000 in damages.
The retired justice cited the episode to explain why judicial officers should avoid accepting personal benefits from people who might subsequently appear before them.
Chief Justice Recalls Attempt to Compromise Judicial Officers
Kekere-Ekun praised Saulawa’s professional conduct and recalled an incident in which both judges had resisted an attempt to offer a personal benefit connected to their judicial responsibilities.
The Chief Justice said the episode occurred while they were serving at the Court of Appeal.
She did not identify the person who made the approach or disclose the nature of the proposed benefit.
Kekere-Ekun said both judges had refused to compromise their positions, maintaining that judicial officers must avoid conduct that could create even an appearance of impropriety.
She described Saulawa as a principled jurist whose professional standards had influenced their working relationship.
The Chief Justice also commended his contributions to the judiciary throughout a career spanning more than four decades.
Saulawa Recounts Judiciary’s Role in June 12 Election Crisis
In another part of his valedictory address, Saulawa revisited the legal disputes surrounding the annulment of Nigeria’s June 12, 1993 presidential election.
He was Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal when competing judicial orders emerged over the conduct of the election and the announcement of its results.
Saulawa accused the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida of encouraging conflicting court proceedings to influence the electoral process.
He recalled that a Federal Capital Territory High Court had issued orders restraining the National Electoral Commission, headed by Humphrey Nwosu, from conducting the election and announcing its results.
Other courts subsequently issued conflicting directives.
Saulawa said he travelled from Lagos to Kaduna at the instruction of the Court of Appeal president, Justice Mohammed Mustapha Akanbi, to supervise the registration of appeals brought by the electoral commission.
He later returned to Lagos and briefed Akanbi, who convened an emergency meeting of senior appellate judges to address the dispute.
The retired justice maintained that the judiciary had resisted attempts by the military authorities to manipulate the legal process.
His recollections, also reported by Vanguard, included allegations about the military government’s motives that were not independently established in the account.
Poor Attendance at Retirement Ceremony Draws Criticism
The relatively small number of lawyers at the valedictory session also attracted criticism.
Damien Dodo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria representing the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, said only six senior advocates and 13 other lawyers attended.
Dodo described the attendance as embarrassing but attributed it to communication difficulties rather than a lack of respect for Saulawa.
He praised the retiring justice’s professional record and personal integrity.
Saulawa joined the legal profession in 1982, served in several judicial and administrative positions, and was appointed to the Supreme Court in November 2020.
He retired after 44 years in the profession.
His appeal to the Chief Justice centred on the need for judicial officers to reject gifts and personal benefits that could undermine confidence in their decisions.
