…says 90% of Nigerians face legal issues without access to justice

By Esther Onyegbula

Legal scholar, Prof. O.A. Oniyinde, has warned that Nigeria’s justice system is facing a deep crisis of confidence, with corruption, chronic delays, and disregard for court orders threatening the rule of law and democratic governance.

Delivering a lecture titled “The Quest for Justice in Nigerian Society” in honour of the late Pa Michael Olorunfemi Ajana, Oniyinde said a recent Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) study showed that 90 per cent of Nigerians have faced at least one legal problem in the last four years, but many abandoned their cases due to high costs, slow proceedings, and lack of trust in the judiciary.

“Justice in Nigeria is not merely an abstract concept confined to courtrooms; it is a lived reality for citizens. Yet, for too many, it remains inaccessible, unaffordable, and unreliable,” he said.

Oniyinde cited cases where government institutions and security agencies openly defied judicial pronouncements, including the Navy’s refusal to honour a court ruling on Vice Admiral Labinjo’s retirement and the continued detention of Alhaji Munir Ibrahim despite two court orders for his release. He described such actions as “a dangerous erosion of judicial authority and a direct threat to democracy.”

The professor also referenced ongoing constitutional disputes over the emergency rule in Rivers State, which he said would “define the boundaries of executive power and the sanctity of democratic governance in Nigeria.”

He further lamented that widespread corruption had worsened public distrust, noting a 2023 UNODC report which revealed that judges were the highest recipients of bribes within Nigeria’s justice sector. According to him, this perception has driven citizens to seek redress through traditional or religious leaders rather than the courts.

Despite these challenges, Oniyinde said recent reforms offered hope. He commended the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for sanctioning corrupt judges and called on Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to sustain efforts to strengthen institutional cooperation.

To restore public confidence, Oniyinde recommended the full enforcement of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), investment in magistrate courts, expansion of legal aid, digitisation of court processes, and recognition of safe informal justice pathways.

He concluded that justice must be seen as a shared responsibility, warning that “when citizens lose faith in the judiciary, society itself begins to decay.”