By Clement Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Senior Nigerian lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, has warned that the use of fabricated facts to deliver judgments, coupled with weak accountability and compromised public institutions, has eroded Nigerians’ confidence in the justice system and threatened national peace and democratic stability.
Okutepa, who made the remarks in a post on his X handle on Thursday, said Nigeria could not achieve lasting peace where justice was denied to the people, calling for urgent reforms to restore integrity, accountability and public confidence in the country’s institutions.
Declaring himself an apostle of the purity of justice, the legal practitioner lamented that judgments allegedly based on fabricated facts rather than the truth of cases had undermined confidence in the justice system.
He also decried what he described as the growing tolerance for false narratives and fabricated facts used to legitimise illegitimate practices and processes, warning that such tendencies were weakening fundamental legal principles and encouraging younger generations to embrace unethical conduct.
According to him, the pursuit of wealth, power and flamboyant lifestyles has increasingly overshadowed morality, with some parents allegedly encouraging their children to engage in unethical activities to make money.
The lawyer further criticised the lack of accountability among public officials and citizens, arguing that many Nigerians, both within and outside government, were unwilling to submit themselves to scrutiny or demand responsibility from those in positions of authority.
He lamented that some individuals who ought to face prosecution remained beyond the reach of the law, partly because citizens allegedly aided and abetted corrupt politicians for personal gain.
Okutepa identified the failure to establish strong and independent institutions as a major obstacle to Nigeria’s progress, blaming politically influenced recruitment processes and institutional manipulation for undermining the independence of bodies expected to serve as checks and balances.
He specifically cited the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, expressing concern that they appeared more loyal to political officeholders and influential individuals than to the Nigerian people and the country itself.
The lawyer argued that such institutional weaknesses had compromised the capacity of public agencies to discharge their responsibilities impartially and in the national interest.
To reverse the trend, he called for a fundamental rethink of Nigeria’s values and governance practices, urging the country to build a society founded on justice, integrity, accountability and equal opportunity.
He stressed the need for leaders to see themselves as servants of the people rather than political emperors or tyrants, adding that citizens who had served the country honourably should not be treated unfairly after retirement.
Okutepa also advocated stronger institutions of justice capable of providing prompt access to justice and effective remedies for victims of wrongdoing, warning against the sacrifice of accountability and ethical standards for political expediency.
He cautioned that the use of compromised justice institutions to legitimise political interests built on alleged violations of the Constitution could undermine constitutional stability, weaken democracy and threaten national peace.
The legal practitioner maintained that Nigerians deserved good governance and a stable democratic environment in which the people remained supreme over those exercising political power.
He urged the country to prioritise merit and integrity over personal connections, insisting that competence and character should determine access to opportunities rather than proximity to those in authority
“Let the sons and daughters of nobody become somebody without knowing anybody in power,” he appealed, calling on Nigerians to work collectively towards building a nation where every citizen is valued and no one is oppressed.
