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A retiring Justice of the Supreme Court, Ibrahim Saulawa, has urged politicians to stop sending gifts, including cows and rams, to judicial officers, describing the practice as inappropriate and capable of undermining the integrity of the judiciary.
Saulawa spoke on Tuesday at a valedictory court session held in his honour after he retired from the Supreme Court on attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70.
The retired justice said he had previously raised concerns about politicians giving animals and other gifts to judges and called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to take action against the practice.
“Why should a politician send a ram, cow or other items to a Supreme Court Justice? It is unheard of in other countries,” Saulawa said.
“I am calling on the CJN to do something about this. I once raised the issue. It is demeaning and equally frustrating,” he added.
Saulawa, who spent 44 years in the legal profession, also recalled an incident in which an influential person attempted to influence him before judgment was delivered in a case.
According to him, the individual had offered him a brand-new Peugeot vehicle, which he rejected.
“Prior to the case, the Alhaji had donated to me a brand new Peugeot motor vehicle, which I flatly rejected,” he said.
The retired justice said the individual subsequently sought the intervention of prominent personalities, including the Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Kabir Usman, and the District Head, Alhaji Balan Goggo, to persuade him to accept the gift.
He said he refused the attempts and later convicted the individual in the case.
Saulawa urged judicial officers across the country to uphold integrity, honesty and morality, stressing the importance of protecting the independence and reputation of the judicial office.
He also disclosed that he deliberately avoided some social gatherings while serving on the bench to protect his principles.
“But some of my learned friends are always there, even if they didn’t need to be there,” he said.
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The retired justice also recounted his experience during the political crisis surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Saulawa, who was then Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, said conflicting court orders had emerged from different courts concerning the election.
He said the crisis involved interim orders from the FCT High Court restraining the National Electoral Commission, then headed by Professor Humphrey Nwosu, from conducting the election and announcing its results, while some state high courts issued orders directing that the results be announced.
According to Saulawa, the military was behind the conflicting legal processes and attempted to penetrate the judiciary during the crisis.
He said he acted on the instructions of the then President of the Court of Appeal, Justice M. Akanbi, by travelling from Lagos to Kaduna to take control of the appellate court registry.
Saulawa said he supervised the registration of appeals and the issuance of relevant court processes before returning to Lagos to brief Justice Akanbi.
He said the Court of Appeal subsequently took steps to address the crisis, adding that efforts by the military to infiltrate the judiciary were resisted.
Meanwhile, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, praised Saulawa for his service and commitment to judicial integrity.
Kekere-Ekun recalled an earlier encounter with the retiring justice involving an attempt to place personal benefit in the path of judicial duty.
She said both of them had taken a firm position that the integrity of judicial office could not be compromised.
“The integrity of the judicial office admits of no compromise and that even the appearance of impropriety must be guarded against,” the CJN said.
The valedictory session marked the end of Saulawa’s 44-year legal career. Only six Senior Advocates of Nigeria and 13 other lawyers attended the ceremony, with a representative of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Damien Dodo, SAN, attributing the low turnout to what he described as miscommunication.
