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US Raises Alarm Over Corruption in Nigerian Judiciary, Undue Political Influence
The United States government has expressed strong concerns over Nigeria’s justice delivery system, accusing it of corruption, undue political influence, and systemic inefficiency.
In its 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released by the Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Washington highlighted enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and lengthy pre-trial delays as major failings of Nigeria’s judiciary.
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The report noted that some detainees were kept behind bars for periods equal to or longer than the maximum sentence for their alleged crimes, blaming the crisis on a shortage of trial judges, case backlogs, and what it described as “endemic corruption and bureaucratic inertia.”
It also faulted law enforcement agencies for violating due process in corruption cases, alleging that suspects were frequently arrested without proper warrants and sometimes held indefinitely. “Bail provisions were often arbitrary, with suspects kept incommunicado,” the report stated.
Amnesty International was also cited as saying that the whereabouts of dozens of young men detained at SARS Awkuzu, a notorious police facility in Anambra State disbanded in 2020, remain unknown.
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Minimum Wage Concerns
The report further criticised Nigeria’s new N70,000 minimum wage, describing it as inadequate due to the naira’s depreciation, which has eroded its real value to about $47.90 per month.
It observed that most workers in the informal sector — which accounts for nearly 80 percent of Nigeria’s labour force — were excluded from the wage law, while some states had yet to implement it, citing financial strain.
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“The devaluation meant the new wage no longer exceeded the poverty line. Many employers had fewer than 25 staff and so were exempt from paying the minimum wage,” the report added.
Child Rights and Early Marriage
On child rights, the US flagged the persistence of early marriage in many states, despite a federal law setting 18 as the minimum age. It noted that while 35 states had adopted the law, implementation remained weak, particularly in northern states where customary or religious practices permitted marriage for girls as young as 11.
Presidency Responds
Reacting swiftly, the Presidency dismissed fears of judicial collapse, insisting that reforms were already underway.
In a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, the government said the judiciary was addressing lengthy pre-trial delays, while broader reforms were being implemented.
“Our judicial system continues to address concerns about lengthy pre-trial periods alongside other issues. These challenges are abating, even as the Nigerian government has initiated several judicial reforms,” Dare said, adding that President Bola Tinubu declared open a National Summit on Justice in April 2024 as part of efforts to strengthen the system.
On the economy, he maintained that the naira was stabilising and macroeconomic indicators showed positive signs of recovery. “The economy is undergoing a recalibration, and we see positive numbers. The naira will strengthen with time,” he said.
Dare also defended the government’s record on security, stressing that the US itself had recently commended Nigerian security agencies for the arrest of two leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group. “It is a validation of efforts being made to address the security situation internally and externally. The security clean-up is a continuous effort,” he noted.
While the US report casts a harsh spotlight on Nigeria’s justice system, labour laws, and human rights record, the government insists that reforms and stabilisation efforts are gradually yielding results.
