In an emotional court session today at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Daniel Osiagor granted a petitioner’s request to recuse himself from a case concerning a minority shareholder seeking to wind up a company.
This poignant decision has highlighted the profound challenges confronting the legal profession in Nigeria.
The case, Etim Maurice Anthony v Edmark City Development Company Ltd & Others, took an unforeseen twist when the petitioner, despite earlier objections, filed a motion requesting the judge’s recusal. As the proceedings progressed, Justice Osiagor, visibly shaken, raised the case file in open court and made a solemn oath before God, stating, “If I have had any communications or dealings with the Respondents in this case, let God judge me and my family forever. But if it is true that the petitioner has made overtures to me, directly and indirectly, all of which I declined, may God judge the petitioner and his lawyers forever.”
The incident has shed light on a disturbing trend within the legal profession, where some senior lawyers allegedly seek to gain undue advantage in pending court cases, endangering the integrity of the justice system. The judge’s emotional response and the need to adjourn all other cases for a short break underscore the gravity of the situation.
Legal experts and concerned citizens are calling for urgent action to sanitize the legal profession and hold lawyers accountable for their actions. The incident serves as a stark reminder that the pursuit of justice should not be tainted by unethical practices and attempts to bend the rules.
One lawyer present in court expressed his dismay, stating, “I honestly feel diminished as a lawyer and wonder how long more it will take for some of our colleagues to bury this profession. There is an urgent need to sanitize the legal profession for us to hold ourselves accountable as lawyers.”
