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The Plight Of Nigeria’s Judges And Lawyers Risking Their Lives Daily.

Published

4 years ago

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To thrive in Nigeria’s legal profession these days, practitioners and judges must be skilled in the martial arts, have Olympian-level foot speed, be proficient with weapons, and have extensive training in subterfuge.
Regrettably, these are not included in the Nigerian Law School curriculum or in judicial orientation.

 ....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

 

Even with these talents bolstered by a wing and a prayer, becoming involved in the legal process in Nigeria today is often perilous.

 

 

In August 2015, Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) announced that they had apprehended members of a kidnapping syndicate who were planning to kidnap judges sitting on election petitions in Owerri, Imo state’s capital. They identified the syndicate’s boss as Chibueze Henry, who operated under the pseudonym Vampire.

Charges were filed against Vampire and his crew, and their trial commenced the following year in Owerri.

 

 

The High Court in Owerri now occupies a prominent piece of real estate, within shouting distance of the State Governor’s office and the headquarters of the Imo State Police Command.
Gates control access to the premises, which are managed by security personnel who are public officials.
The trial of Vampire and his gang was set to resume in one of these facilities’ courtrooms on the morning of January 27, 2017.
As officials from the Nigeria Prison Service (as it was then known) drove into the court grounds, a black Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) at the back of the convoy rushed past them before coming to a complete halt.
A swarm of men armed with assault rifles descended from the SUV and began shooting indiscriminately.

 

As judges, court employees, lawyers, and court users fled , the attackers freed Vampire and up to 29 other captives.
The incident killed at least two people and injured many more.
For more than a decade, Imo State, where this incident occurred, has been a hotbed of targeted violence against judges and lawyers.
In March 2011, the state’s high court justices went on strike to protest the kidnapping of one of their colleagues, Theophilus Nzekwe.

 

 

Ambrose Egu, the president of the state’s Customary Court of Appeal, and senior Magistrate Pauline Njemanze were abducted on official business near the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport near Owerri a year ago.

Magistrate and court inspector, Oderachukwu Onumajulu, was not so lucky. As a child, Odera always desired to be a judge. In 2016, she climbed the first rung in her ambition when she was admitted to the Nigerian Bar. Three years later, she became a Magistrate in Imo State. On 22 May, 2021, unidentified men shot and abducted Odera at the Customary Court of Appeal in Owerri, where she worked as courts inspector. One month later, in June 2022, she died from her injuries.

Odera was the second judicial figure to be killed in line of duty in the state in as many years. On 23 November, 2018, a body found dumped along Amucha Road in Njaba Local Government Area (LGA) in Orlu Zone, Imo State, was identified as the remains of Remi Ogu, a Chief Magistrate in the neighbouring Oru LGA.
Remi and his court registrar, Uju Nwanne, were abducted the previous day from their duty post. In March 2019, the police in the state paraded one Friday Nnaekezie, who claimed that he masterminded the abduction and killing of the Chief Magistrate.

Orlu zone, where Remi was killed, has become the epicentre of mass atrocities committed in the name of agitation.

Three months before Remi’s murder, in August 2018, unidentified men incinerated the High Court and Magistrate’s court buildings in the city with all their records and archives.They returned four years later, on December 17, 2022, to complete their evil act.

Darlington Odume, who became a lawyer in 2016, was one of the more outspoken voices at the Orlu Bar.
The people revered him for his fighting skills, comparing him to a lion.
They dubbed him “Omekagu” as a result.
Unidentified gunmen assassinated Omekagu in mid-September 2021, while he was out shopping for food for his family in Orlu. He was married to a policewoman in a city where being linked with one had become perilous.
The year 2021 was exceptionally disastrous for lawyers across the country.
A month after Omekagu’s murder in Orlu, Ajah Ogbonna Ajah and another of his colleagues, both lawyers, were assassinated on the road on their way to court in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State in south-east Nigeria, by unidentified gunmen.

 

 

They were far from the only victims in the region or during the year.
Stanley Nnaji, a former High Court judge, was slain on the streets of Enugu State in May by unknown Gunmen.

 

 

In November 2021, seven unidentified guys macheted Kenechukwu Okeke to death in Nkpor, Anambra State.
They murdered him in front of his wife and young daughter.
Okeke, a lawyer, had been vocal in his support for Nigeria’s government  ban on Twitter.

These killings of lawyers, magistrates, and judges were not limited to South-East Nigeria. On 17 February, 2021, gunmen shot and killed Nkiru Agbasu, a pregnant lawyer, along the Warri-Sapele Road in Delta State.

As in Imo State, Nkiru died in a state with a record of no consequences for the killing of lawyers. In March 2014, unidentified gunmen reportedly dressed in police uniforms assassinated two lawyers, Eguno Dafiaghor and Samuel Ekuwangi on the Azoro-Asaba motorway in Delta State. It was widely suspected that they “were murdered as a result of the high profile case they were handling at the High Court, Ozoro.”

A little more than a year later, in April 2015, unidentified men assassinated the chair of the Nigerian Bar Association in Ughelli, Austin Icheghe, at his home in front of his family, with no repercussions.

 

 

Insecurity among lawyers in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital, is also explained by impunity.
Police discovered the mangled remains of Ijeoma Micah in her law office in affluent Maitama, Abuja, in October 2013.
She’d been gone for three days.

 

 

Seven years later, another lawyer, Ben Okpe, was assassinated outside his house in Karu, near Abuja.
Terrorists hijacking the Abuja-Kaduna train killed Farida Sule Mohammed, a young Abuja lawyer, in March 2022. She was 29 years old.
Suleiman Zailani was assassinated in August, and Sadiq Gaya in September. At the end of November, unidentified gunmen in the Federal Capital assassinated senior lawyer, Steven Eke, in the presence of his wife and son.
Feyitayo Obot was assassinated in her hotel room at the end of January 2019 while on professional business in Lagos; about two months after the shooting of Adeshina Adeola on the outskirts of Abuja in the week of his admission to the Nigerian Bar in November 2018.

 

 

The murders and kidnappings of lawyers and judges described here are only a small part of the story.
They are distinct in three ways.

 

 

For starters, the criminals almost always get away with it.
Second, any society that tolerates such attacks on its courts, judges, and lawyers is a lawless society.
Third, the NBA does not currently have a dedicated program in place to ensure accountability for these attacks on lawyers and judges.

 

 
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Crime

Disguised Evil: Police Nab ‘Fake Okada Rider’ Terrorizing Bauchi In Shocking Spree Of Kidnapping, Rape, And Robbery!.

Published

1 week ago

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September 13, 2026

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The Bauchi State Police Command has apprehended a 53-year-old resident of Igbo Quarters, Bauchi, named Gambo Hassan (also known as “Anahaka”), on allegations of involvement in kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, and the unlawful possession of weapons within the Bauchi metropolis.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Operatives from the ‘B’ Division, GRA, arrested Hassan around 8:45 p.m. on September 11, 2026, during a routine patrol on Adamu Jumba Road. According to police reports, the suspect allegedly operated as a fake commercial motorcyclist during evening hours to prey on vulnerable passengers, particularly women. At the time of his arrest, he was riding a Bajaj motorcycle (registration number BAU 150G), wearing a fez cap and a black face mask, and was found in possession of a sharp knife.

Initial interrogation led the suspect to identify 15 women as victims of his alleged crimes, a number that police stated later rose to 35. Following these confessions, detectives executed a search warrant at his home and recovered numerous items believed to be proceeds of crime, including:

  • 15 assorted mobile phones

  • 3 power banks

  • 6 women’s wristwatches

  • 6 assorted native caps

  • 5 bundles of women’s wrappers

  • 3 women’s hijabs

  • ₦425,435 in cash, alongside Turkish and Kenyan currency notes

The suspect and all recovered exhibits have been moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Bauchi for further investigation and prosecution.

State Commissioner of Police Sani-Omolori Aliyu praised the officers for their vigilance, while the command’s spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, encouraged anyone who may have fallen victim to the suspect to come forward with information to support the ongoing investigation.

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Crime

CRIME TSUNAMI: Kidnappers Pocket A Staggering ₦7.7 Billion Across The Country In Mind-Blowing Report!.

Published

3 weeks ago

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August 28, 2026

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A report by SBM Intelligence titled Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry 2026 reveals that kidnappers across Nigeria amassed a staggering ₦7.779 billion in ransoms between July 2025 and June 2026, which accounts for 34 percent of the total ₦22.856 billion demanded during that timeframe. Although total demands decreased from the previous cycle’s ₦48 billion (which was inflated by a massive ₦30 billion demand in Delta State), the proportion of actual ransom collected surged dramatically compared to the prior period’s 5.35 percent. This year’s record payments were heavily propelled by large-scale mass abductions capable of holding hundreds of victims under intense pressure.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Terrorist and insurgent factions dominated the collections, with the JAS faction and its affiliates raking in roughly ₦7 billion—accounting for about 90 percent of nationwide ransom payouts. This total was driven primarily by two massive incidents:

  • A ₦5 billion ransom reportedly paid following the April 2026 abduction of 416 people in Ngoshe, Borno State, led by commander Ali Ngulde, marking the largest single ransom payment in SBM’s database.

  • An estimated ₦2 billion payout following the November 2025 kidnapping of 315 pupils and staff members from St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State.

Beyond these major terrorist-linked factions, unaffiliated kidnappers and bandits collected ₦719.4 million (about nine percent of total payments), while the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) secured ₦53 million.

Geographically, Kwara State registered the highest ransom demands at ₦7.375 billion (32.3 percent of the national total, largely driven by a ₦3.52 billion demand linked to Boko Haram activity around Woro and Wawa), followed by Borno at ₦5.698 billion and Kaduna at ₦1.459 billion. However, when looking at actual payouts, Borno led the country with ₦5.0545 billion collected, trailed by Niger (₦2 billion), Kwara (₦278.3 million), Kaduna (₦64 million), and Sokoto (₦58 million), with these five states alone accounting for 95.8 percent of nationwide ransom collections. Conversely, states like Kebbi, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Sokoto, and Imo saw much lower demands, and minimal payouts—such as ₦70,000 in Cross River or ₦100,000 in Bauchi—often represented token settlements or arrangements finalized with supplies and food rather than large cash sums.

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Crime

BETRAYAL OF TRUST: Man Given Free Shelter Allegedly Sells Benefactor’s House And Scams Cleric Of ₦13.6 Million.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

August 27, 2026

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Yusuf Oyepeju before the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan. Oyepeju appeared alongside two corporate entities—Alwajeez International Nigeria Limited and AIN Homes and Property Limited—to face a six-count charge encompassing forgery, document uttering, theft by conversion, and obtaining money under false pretenses.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to a statement released in Ibadan on Wednesday by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the case stems from a relationship that began on an Islamic WhatsApp educational platform where both Oyepeju and the victim, Fasasi Bayonle, served as tutors. Bayonle, an Islamic cleric based in Dubai, eventually fell victim to a severe betrayal of trust.

From Benefactor to Alleged Victim

Investigations revealed that the saga began in 2018 when Oyepeju approached Bayonle seeking financial assistance for accommodation after getting married. Rather than a cash handout, Bayonle permitted Oyepeju to temporarily move into his vacant property located at the Ikumapayi area of Olodo, Ibadan, before relocating to the UAE.

Authorities stated that Oyepeju, posing as a property developer, subsequently convinced Bayonle to fund land purchases and housing construction projects in Ibadan, transferring a total of ₦8,697,900 between February and August 2020. However, the arrangement turned sour when Oyepeju allegedly forged a “Transfer of Agreement,” sold the very house he was given to live in for free to companies linked to him, and converted the proceeds. Investigators also discovered that he never purchased or developed the promised land.

Court Proceedings and Remand

Appearing before Justice Olusola Adetujoye, Oyepeju pleaded not guilty to all charges. Following his plea, prosecuting counsel Sanusi Galadanchi requested a trial date and asked that the defendant be remanded. Meanwhile, defense counsel B. Ajibola informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and served.

Justice Adetujoye adjourned the proceedings for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that Oyepeju be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre, Ibadan, pending the next court date.

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