A retiring Supreme Court Justice, Ibrahim Saulawa, has called for an end to politicians presenting cows, rams and other gifts to judges, warning that the practice undermines the dignity of the judiciary.
He urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to take action against the practice, which he described as demeaning and frustrating.
“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.
Saulawa spoke on Tuesday at a valedictory court session held in his honour following his retirement at the mandatory age of 70.
He retired after 44 years in the legal profession.
The jurist also recalled how he rejected a brand-new Peugeot offered by an influential man whose case he later decided against.
“Prior to the case, the Alhaji had donated to me a brand-new Peugeot motor vehicle, which I flatly rejected,” he said.
According to Saulawa, the man later sought the intervention of prominent personalities, including Emir Alhaji Muhammadu Kabir Usman and District Head Alhaji Balan Goggo, to persuade him to accept the vehicle.
He said the attempts failed, insisting that judges must not allow personal benefits to influence their decisions.
Saulawa urged judicial officers across the country to uphold integrity, honesty and morality.
He also disclosed that he had declined several invitations to social gatherings during his career to protect his principles.
“But some of my learned friends are always there, even if they didn’t need to be there,” he said.
June 12: ‘We frustrated the military’
Saulawa also revisited the crisis surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, accusing the military of orchestrating conflicting court orders to frustrate the electoral process.
He was the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal at the time.
According to him, while the FCT High Court issued interim orders restraining the National Electoral Commission, led by Professor Humphrey Nwosu, from conducting the election and announcing the results, some state high courts issued conflicting directives.
Saulawa said he travelled from Lagos to Kaduna on the directive of the then President of the Court of Appeal, Justice M. Akanbi, to take control of the appellate court’s registry.
He supervised the registration of appeals filed by the electoral commission before returning to Lagos to brief Akanbi.
The former justice said Akanbi subsequently convened an emergency meeting of presiding justices to address the crisis.
Saulawa maintained that the judiciary resisted military interference before then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, annulled the election.
He faulted the military’s alleged use of forum shopping to obtain conflicting court orders.
“We actually did all we could do to frustrate the military,” he said.
CJN praises retiring justice
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kekere-Ekun, praised Saulawa for his commitment to judicial integrity, describing him as “a man whose life has been defined by service.”
She recalled an incident from their time in the Court of Appeal when an attempt was made to offer a personal benefit in connection with judicial duty.
Kekere-Ekun said both justices rejected the attempt, maintaining that the integrity of judicial office must never be compromised.
She added that judicial integrity was demonstrated not only through judgments but also through decisions made away from the courtroom.
Meanwhile, the relatively low attendance at Saulawa’s valedictory session attracted criticism from Damien Dodo, SAN, representing the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
Dodo said he was embarrassed that only six SANs and 13 other lawyers attended the ceremony.
He blamed the turnout on miscommunication, insisting that it did not reflect the retiring justice’s standing.
Dodo described Saulawa as a jurist who served Nigeria with “granite integrity”.
