Retiring Supreme Court Justice Ibrahim Saulawa has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to stop politicians from sending livestock and other gifts to judicial officers, describing the practice as demeaning and unheard of in other countries.
Justice Saulawa spoke on Tuesday at a valedictory court session held in his honour by the Supreme Court. He is leaving the bench after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70, having spent 44 years in the legal profession.
“Why should a politician send a ram, cow or other items to a Supreme Court Justice? It is unheard of in other countries,” he said. “I am calling on the CJN to do something about this. I once raised the issue. It is demeaning and equally frustrating.”
He urged judges across the country to uphold integrity, honesty and morality.
Rejected car gift
Justice Saulawa recalled a case in which an influential man, whom he later convicted, offered him a brand new Peugeot car before judgment was delivered. He said he flatly rejected it.
According to him, the man then approached prominent figures, including the Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Kabir Usman, and the District Head, Alhaji Balan Goggo, to persuade him to accept the gift. “It was to no avail,” he said.
He added that, to protect his principles, he turned down several invitations to social gatherings while in service. “But some of my learned friends are always there, even if they didn’t need to be there,” he said.
Low turnout
Only six Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and 13 other lawyers attended the session. Similar ceremonies in the past drew serving and former governors and other eminent personalities.
Speaking for the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BoSAN), Damien Dodo, SAN, said he was embarrassed by the poor attendance. He blamed it on miscommunication and said it did not reflect on Justice Saulawa, who he said served the country “with granite integrity.”
June 12 crisis
Justice Saulawa also recalled the events that led to the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. He was then Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal.
He said the FCT High Court issued two interim orders restraining the National Electoral Commission (NEC), led by Professor Humphrey Nwosu, from conducting the poll and announcing the results. Some state high courts, however, issued conflicting orders directing that the results be announced.
He claimed the military orchestrated the confusion and engaged in “forum shopping.” On the directive of the then President of the Court of Appeal, Justice M. Akanbi, he said he flew to Kaduna, took control of the appellate court’s registry, and supervised the registration of appeals filed by NEC and the issuing of court processes to the parties.
“I equally issued a press release regarding the circumstances surrounding the two appeals,” he said. He then returned to Lagos the same evening and briefed Justice Akanbi, who called an emergency meeting of presiding justices.
Justice Saulawa said the military’s efforts to infiltrate the judiciary were frustrated by him and Justice Akanbi. He said it was only after this that then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, annulled the election, claiming he was saving “the judiciary from self-destruction.”
“We actually did all we could do to frustrate the military,” he said, adding that the judiciary of that period deserved “a gold medal.”
CJN’s tribute
The CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, described the retiring justice as “a man whose life has been defined by service.”
She recalled an occasion when Justice Saulawa was Presiding Justice of the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal, when an attempt was made to place a matter of personal benefit in the path of judicial duty.
“Without hesitation, we each took the position that the integrity of the judicial office admits of no compromise and that even the appearance of impropriety must be guarded against,” she said.
She added that the moment deepened her appreciation of his character and shaped the mutual respect between them.
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