Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa, has accused some Nigerian lawyers of undermining justice, fuelling impunity and contributing to the weakening of democracy in the country.
Okutepa, in a post on his X account, said lawyers had a major responsibility to protect democracy, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.
He expressed concern over the state of the legal profession and the Nigerian Bar Association, particularly following its recently concluded election.
According to him, lawyers must stop allowing partisan interests to influence their conduct in courts and tribunals.
He warned against what he described as “chameleon advocacy”, where lawyers allegedly distort issues, advance contradictory arguments or frustrate proceedings in pursuit of their clients’ interests.
“When we as lawyers argue causes and matters in the chameleon’s manner to impose injustice and pervert the cause of justice and produce unjust decisions, we murdered justice and enthroned evil,” he said.
Okutepa said such practices had contributed to weaknesses in Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence and created opportunities for political actors to manipulate legal processes and avoid accountability.
He also criticised delays in the justice system, saying victims of wrongdoing were often left without timely remedies while accused persons could exploit prolonged legal processes.
“There is no immediate remedy for victims of wrongs in Nigeria,” he said.
The SAN urged the judiciary to remain independent and resist attempts to frustrate the administration of justice.
He also called on the NBA to take decisive steps to restore public confidence in the legal profession, warning that growing frustration with the justice system could have serious consequences.
Okutepa maintained that an independent judiciary remained essential to democratic development and urged lawyers to play their part in preventing Nigeria from sliding further into what he described as “democratic dictatorship.”
“The duty on Nigerian lawyers to prevent democratic dictatorship is heavy indeed,” he said.
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