A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, has called for swift arrests, public exposure and stiff sanctions against any lawyer or litigant who attempts to improperly influence judicial officers, warning that such acts pose a grave threat to the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system.
Okutepa, who is the lead prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, made the call while reacting to reports of alleged private approaches to Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the ongoing N8.7bn money laundering trial involving a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).