Retiring Supreme Court Justice Accuses Chief Justice of Judicial Power Abuse

The Supreme Court, a retiring justice, Musa Dattijo Muhammad, has made shocking allegations against Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, accusing him of abusing his powers. Justice Muhammad, who spent 47 years in active judicial service, retired on Friday upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.

During a valedictory session organized in his honor by the Supreme Court, Justice Muhammad expressed his concerns about the state of the judiciary in the country. He claimed that the current structure grants excessive power to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who often makes decisions without consulting other justices.

Justice Muhammad stated, “As presently structured, the CJN is Chairman of the NJC, FJSC, NJI, and LPPC, with the final say on appointments and matters related to these bodies. Such enormous powers are effortlessly abused. This needs to change.”

He also pointed out the failure to fill vacant positions on the Supreme Court bench, particularly in the South East region, attributing it to the unchecked authority of the CJN. With his retirement, the North Central zone is now left without representation on the Supreme Court bench.

Furthermore, Justice Muhammad criticized the composition of the panel that heard appeals in the recent presidential election cases, emphasizing the need for diversity and representation from all regions in such significant decisions.

In his address, Justice Muhammad highlighted financial disparities within the judiciary, revealing that the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court earns more than the justices, which he found to be unjust and embarrassing.

These revelations come as the retiring justice lamented that the judiciary he is leaving is far from the one he joined, describing it as “something else.” These allegations raise concerns about the functioning and transparency of the Nigerian judicial system.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, praised Justice Muhammad as a “quintessential Judicial icon” but did not directly respond to the allegations. With Justice Muhammad’s retirement, the Supreme Court bench has been further reduced to 10 justices.