The National Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Anti-Corruption Committee, Babafemi Badejo, has warned that the growing acceptance of corruption within the legal profession amounts to “professional suicide,” with dangerous consequences for Nigeria’s development and the rule of law.
He spoke at the NBA Port Harcourt Branch Anti-Corruption Seminar held yesterday in Port Harcourt, themed: “Strengthening Integrity in the Legal Profession: The Role of Lawyers in Combating Corruption in Nigeria.”
Addressing legal practitioners, judicial officers, and senior advocates at the event, Prof. Badejo described corruption as a “pandemic” that has spread across the three arms and levels of government, as well as the public, private, and social sectors of the country.
According to him, the increasing tolerance for corruption among Nigerians, including members of the legal profession, has turned what should be regarded as an abnormality into an accepted norm.
“Please permit me to be frank: it is a grave problem that we are becoming more and more accommodating and receptive to corruption. In large part, this abnormality has grown into a normality,” he stated.
The professor, however, acknowledged the efforts of NBA President Afam Osigwe, SAN, in establishing the NBA Anti-Corruption Committee and ensuring that similar committees are replicated across NBA branches nationwide.
He lamented that corruption has weakened institutions, eroded public confidence, discouraged investment, and worsened inequality in the country, while also fuelling insecurity, including kidnapping and abduction for ransom.
“Ultimately, all of us suffer when public resources meant for education, healthcare, infrastructure, and security are diverted into private pockets,” he said.
Badejo stressed that lawyers occupy a strategic position in the fight against corruption, given their role as custodians of justice and defenders of the rule of law.
“We are not merely advocates for clients; we are guardians of the rule of law. Our duty to justice and society must never be subordinate to financial gains and/or political pressures,” he said.
He further argued that corruption and the rule of law cannot coexist, insisting that corruption undermines the NBA’s ideals and motto.
“For us in the legal profession, the acceptance of corruption as normal is professional suicide, with devastating consequences for our national existence and progress,” he warned.
The anti-corruption committee chairman also cautioned lawyers against aiding corrupt practices through legal representation that undermines public interest.
“If we, as lawyers, continue to oil the wheels for corrupt clients without question, then we are not part of the solution. We are enablers,” he added.
Badejo called for a total change of orientation within the legal profession, noting that the anti-corruption fight goes beyond prosecutions and requires ethical reforms and accountability.
He advocated for a more effective and responsive Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), capable of handling disciplinary complaints promptly and efficiently.
The legal scholar urged lawyers to promote ethical advocacy, transparency in legal transactions, accountability in public administration, and respect for due process, while also supporting anti-corruption institutions and safeguarding judicial independence.
He charged participants at the seminar to ensure that the gathering becomes part of a broader movement aimed at restoring integrity, honour, and public trust within the legal profession.
“The road to a corruption-free Nigeria begins not only in our courts, but also in the daily ethical choices made in our chambers, our consultations, and our professional conduct,” he said.
Badejo concluded by urging Nigerian lawyers to reject the normalisation of corruption and embrace patriotism, courage, and uncompromising integrity in their professional duties.
