‘Nigeria’s Judicial System is Completely Destroyed, I’m Just Tired’ — Okutepa SAN Cries Out 

‘Nigeria’s Judicial System is Completely Destroyed, I’m Just Tired’ — Okutepa SAN Cries Out

 

 

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Jubrin Okutepa, has expressed deep frustration over what he described as the total collapse of Nigeria’s judicial system, accusing those in authority of destroying the very institutions meant to uphold justice.

 

In a lengthy statement shared on his verified X account formerly known as Twitter, Okutepa lamented that the justice system in Nigeria has been reduced to serving the interests of the powerful rather than protecting the rights of ordinary citizens.

 

According to him, the continued detention of legal practitioner, Chinedu Agu, in Imo State, exemplifies the growing misuse of judicial power and the erosion of fairness in the country’s legal processes.

 

“The institutions of justice in Nigeria appear to me to have been reduced to satisfying the most powerful individuals in society rather than serving the people at large,” he wrote. “The continued detention of Chinedu Agu Esq, a legal practitioner based in Owerri, Imo State, is troubling. It is worrisome. It is an unjust misuse of institutions of justice.”

 

Expressing dismay over the inconsistencies in court judgments, the SAN said justice in Nigeria has become unpredictable and manipulated, calling it “an extraordinary kind of wickedness not acceptable in a democratic society.”

 

“I am just tired of the unjust systems in Nigeria. In our very eyes, institutions of justice have been destroyed by those entrusted with the responsibility to uphold them. Justice has taken the shape of a chameleon. It is no longer predictable on settled precedents,” he added.

 

Okutepa decried the growing culture of impunity, where individuals who perpetrate injustice are celebrated, while honest practitioners are sidelined. He also condemned the misuse of laws such as the Cybercrimes Act, saying it has become a weapon for oppression rather than justice.

 

“Policies are fashioned not for the good of society but for the interests of those who have forced themselves on Nigerians. The level of misuse of the Cybercrimes Act needs to be looked into. Many of those in power can do anything to us and go scot-free,” he said.

 

The senior lawyer also faulted some judges and lawyers for allowing themselves to be used as tools of oppression, stressing that such actions undermine the rule of law and erode public trust in the judiciary.

 

“When a legal practitioner sitting in adjudication willfully orders the detention of anyone without jurisdiction, that is an abuse of the criminal process. Allowing yourself to be used as an instrument of perversion of justice is both unethical and wicked,” he stated.

 

Okutepa lamented that Nigeria’s justice institutions have been systematically weakened, leaving citizens vulnerable to political manipulation and state oppression.

 

“Independent institutions are not available in Nigeria. Everyone in power is feared and worshipped. Today, nobody can say for sure where we are heading,” he said.

 

He concluded by calling for a return to truth, fairness, and humanity in governance, warning that without justice, Nigeria cannot experience peace or development.

 

“Let us be kind to one another. Let truth prevail. Let justice undiluted reign in Nigeria. That is the only routeto peace and development,” he said.