The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has criticised the growing inequality in Nigeria’s justice system.
The revered traditional leader warns that the courts are increasingly tilting in favour of the wealthy while the poor are left to suffer.
Speaking on Sunday at the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Enugu, the Sultan of Sokoto lamented what he described as the commercialisation of justice in Nigeria.
“Justice is increasingly becoming a purchasable commodity, and the poor are becoming victims, while the rich commit all manner of crime and walk the streets scot-free,” he said.
The monarch also warned that such systemic imbalance could have dire consequences for national stability.
“This imbalance fuels anger, mistrust, and potential violence. If public confidence in the courts is lost, citizens may be forced to take the law into their own hands,” he cautioned.
The Sultan of Sokoto stressed that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy depended on a judiciary that is fair, transparent, and accountable.
The Sultan challenged members of the legal profession to uphold the principles of truth and fairness above personal or financial interest.
“It is only when the legal profession leads by example that the public can trust the system again,” he declared.
It is worthy to note that Nigeria’s justice system has been criticised as skewed in favour of the rich.
Reports from civil society organisations show that Nigeria’s prisons are overcrowded with thousands of people awaiting trial, many of whom cannot afford legal representation or even meet bail conditions.
