Culture of Contempt of Courts in Nigeria: Evasion of Justice, Rape on Rule of Law, By Adekola Akintibubo

By Prince Adekola Akintibubo 

 

Succinctly, the phrase Contempt of Court within the legal parlance describes any act that disrespects, disobeys, interferes with the dignity of a court of law or any behaviour that undermines the administration of justice. 

Contempt of Court is adjudged to be a criminal offence and could be committed by individuals, lawyers, witnesses or judges themselves.

This grotesque and infamous crime should be discouraged and not be allowed to thrive because it is capable of tainting and threatening the rule of law upon which our nascent democracy stands.

This is why anyone found culpable in the act is condignly punished until that quantum of contempt is purged out of him. The punishment ranges from fines to physical confinement in term of imprisonment.

In spite of the severity and image-tarnishing effects of punishment attached to this crime, it is yet worrisome however, to see that Nigerians, particularly people of high calibre still fall trap of this and continue to imbibe the culture of this criminality.

So to say, the celebration of this ugly scene has not been infrequent.

We have on record, decided cases of three convicted erstwhile top-notched security officials involved in flagrant flouting of court orders and their respective comeuppance.

First and foremost, a case of corrupt practice leveled against a suspect by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). It was learnt that a court order passed by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja was wittingly flouted by the EFCC boss.

Consequently, it was ruled that the Chairman of the anti-graft agency is in contempt of the order of the court made on November 21, 2018 directing the commission to return to the applicant his Range Rover (Super Charge) and the sum of N40 million; and that Abdulrosheed Bawa should be committed to Prison at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja for his disobedience of the said order until he purged himself of the contempt. Channels TV, November 8 2022.

As if that was not enough, same month same year came up similar matter. The Inspector General of Police v. Patrick Okoli a Police officer unlawfully retired by the Nigeria Police.

The IGP’s committal was consequent on a suit filed by officer Okoli. A case decided by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. The Court ruled in favour of the Police officer and that “the Police Chief be committed to prison for a period of 3 months or until his office obeys an order made by the Court since October 21, 2011” Punch Newspaper, issue of 29th November, 2022.

And lastly, on 1st December, 2022, Punch also reported that the Federal High Court sitting in Minna, Niger State Capital ordered that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Farouk Yahaya should be arrested for contempt. The judge ruled that the COAS be kept in Minna Correctional Custody for contentious of order of the court in October 12, 2022 adding that General Yahaya is to remain in custody till he has been “purged” of the contempt.

Without mincing words, it is deductible from foregoing that convicting these high-ranked officers demonstrated that Nigeria is not a conducive environment for the practice of impunity like horrendous disregards for court order.

Regrettably, the involvement of these high profiled Nigerians in this mess sullies the reputation of their respective offices and underscores the need to urgently look inwards to embark on self-cleansing with a view to stemming the tide of this ugly trend in Nigeria so that its future re-occurrence would be forestalled; Or for how long do we tarry till things go out of hands?

 

Prince Abd Rosheed Adekola Akintibubo wrote from Ile-Ife, Osun State. He can be reached via [email protected]