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Corruption: N9.4bn estimated bribery in the Judicial sector in three years –ICPC
By Modupe Shodeinde
The independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences has stated that the level of bribery offered and received in the Judicial sector between 2018 and 2020 is to a sum of N9.4 billion.
A survey carried out by the ICPC revealed that level of corruption in the justice sector was heightened by the “stupendously high amounts of money offered as bribes to judges by lawyers handling high electoral and political cases.”
The Survey titled “Nigeria Corruption Index: Report of a pilot survey 2020’, disclosed 9.9 per cent of lawyers admitted paying N5.7b bribes in connection to mostly electoral cases they were handling.
The report stated, “The money involved in the high-level corruption in this sector was categorised into money demanded, offered or paid. Demands are made by court officials, including judges, while bribery offers and payment are made by lawyers and litigants.
“The total amount of money reported by the justice sector respondents as corruptly demanded, offered and paid between 2018 and 2020 was N9.457b.”
The report stated that there were 901 respondents in the justice sector, with 638 lawyers (70.81%), 124 judges (13.76%) and 25 court staff (22.7%).
It also disclosed that the private sector ranked next to the judicial sector in corruption levels, stating that the graft in private business sector contributed greatly to the national level of corruption.
This sector was reported to experience a diversion of public contract funds to personal use, with 8 per cent of businesses reported paying government dues into private accounts.
