Author: The Nation

The President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Monica Dongban-Memsem, has challenged those accusing judges of being corrupt to provide evidence to enable relevant institutions to take the necessary steps.

Justice Dongban-Memsem said, “We keep hearing of corruption among judges. Please provide evidence. That is what we need.

“Since no one has come up with evidence that we are corrupt, I know that we are not corrupt. We are doing our best.”

The PCA spoke in Abuja on Monday during a special court session marking the official commencement of the Court of Appeal’s 2025/2026 legal year.

She expressed discomfort that people criticise the Judiciary when it receives support from the Executive arm of government, arguing that it was not out of place for the government to support the court and its officials to aid its effectiveness.

The PCA faulted the practice where lawyers encourage the writing of petitions against judicial officers because they feel dissatisfied with the judgment rendered by such judges.

She advocated for adequate and befitting accommodation for judges, citing the recent case of a retired judge of the Delta State Judiciary, who was murdered in her residence.

The PCA said that although the circumstances leading to her death were not yet fully known, it was obvious she lived in a not well secured environment.

Justice Dongban-Memsem said, “So, even after we have left office, we are still not safe, because of the decisions that we have taken.”

She appealed to both the federal and sub-national governments to extend the provision of houses to all judges rather than limiting it to heads of courts.

“Our sacrifice to the nation is invaluable. We don’t have alternative places to go. We do not pass files to other people. We sit down, we write our judgments, we read the files, and sometimes, they are very heavy.

“So, we do not even have time to do other businesses to enable us to provide for ourselves. People should please not begrudge us if we are being supported by the government that we are serving. And their support does not change us.

“We look at the facts, and we apply the law. If we fail to do that, there are three levels of appeal. Judges can be wrong. But we do not choose to be wrong. 

“We may misinterpret the facts. If you think we do it deliberately, bring up the facts. Go on appeal. Judges should not be weighed down with answering petitions.

“Appeal when you can appeal. A judicial decision is supposed to be appealed against, not to be petitioned against,” she said.

The PCA, who noted that election-related cases were consuming judicial time, urged politicians to learn to resolve their disputes internally and desist from burdening the court with the problems.

She said, “We hope that the politicians will resolve their disputes internally and leave the court out of it. Endless litigation drains our scarce resources. 

“We are currently in serious debt. We therefore appeal to political actors: democracy cannot flourish if every electoral contest is dragged into the courtroom. 

“The spirit of sportsmanship must prevail. We urge politicians to respect the will of the electorate, accept outcomes in good faith, and place the peace and progress of our nation above personal ambition,” she said.

The PCA, who disclosed that efforts were ongoing for appointing 11 new Justices for the court to fill existing vacancies, appealed to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to impress it on the National Assembly to pass a pending Bill that seeks to increase the number of judicial officers for the Court of Appeal.

She expressed delight about the court’s performance in the last legal year, noting that during the 2024/2025 legal year, the court received 5,225 appeals and 9,906 motions across its 20 divisions. 

She added, “In the same period, we successfully determined 3,193 appeals and heard 5,623 motions. Of the appeals concluded, 2,503 were dismissed while 690 were allowed. As at 31st October 2025, the court has 31,618 appeals and 3,382 motions pending.

“When compared with the 2023/2024 legal year, a clear improvement emerges. In that year, only 2,299 appeals were determined, and the number of pending appeals stood at 41,952. 

“The significant reduction in the backlog this year reflects the exceptional commitment and hard work of my brother Justices in dispensing justice judiciously and judicially,” she said.

The PCA said the court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre equally managed 121 mediation matters as of October 2025, out of which 34 were successfully resolved through mutually agreeable settlement arrangements, resulting in enforceable resolutions duly approved by the court. 

“A total of 26 matters were returned to the court for adjudication due to parties being unable to reach a consensus. Consequently, 61 matters remain pending before the centre,” she said.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), disclosed that the Federal Government was in the process of appointing more judges at the Federal High Court to hasten the pace of determining terror-related cases.

Fagbemi tasked the Judiciary to do all within its capacity to reduce delays in its handling of terror-related cases and commercial matters in view of their effects on security and the economy.

He stressed the importance of the Judiciary to the government’s efforts at combating insecurity and attracting foreign direct investments.

Fagbemi said, Rather than resorting to indiscriminate detention or relying solely on battlefield engagements, the government is focused on the timely prosecution of suspects implicated in mass-casualty attacks, kidnap-for-ransom networks, extremist recruitment, and terror-financing activities.

“The government is equally mindful that this can only be achieved by enhancing the capacity of the judges who would handle these cases and other cases in the docket of our courts. 

“The Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR is therefore committed to the immediate appointment of additional judges of the Federal High Court to reinforce and boost our national counter-terrorism efforts and ensure that terrorism-related cases and other cases are handled promptly and effectively.

“I therefore respectfully urge this Honourable Court to accord accelerated hearing to commercial cases whose outcomes bear directly on the economy, investor confidence, and the prosperity of our people.

“At this solemn juncture in our national life, it is also impossible to ignore the grave challenge of insecurity that confronts our country. 

“From insurgency and terrorism to banditry, kidnapping, and violent crimes, these threats imperil not only the safety of our citizens but also the very fabric of our constitutional democracy.

“The judiciary, as the guardian of justice and the custodian of the rule of law, must lend its weight to national efforts to combat insecurity. 

“Through firm, consistent, and courageous adjudication, the courts can ensure that those who threaten peace and stability are held accountable, that impunity is dismantled, and that the sanctity of human life and property is protected.

“This is because prosecuting delays can extend periods of insecurity while damaging public trust in judicial procedures. 

“The judicial system’s effectiveness strengthens when terrorism cases receive swift hearings and resolutions, which demonstrates that terrorism faces immediate and decisive legal action,” Fagbemi said.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, assured that the FCT administration will continue to support the Judiciary and courts in Abuja.

He identified some projects that have been undertaken in that regard over the last year and promised to do more to ensure a conducive environment for the court and the judges to function effectively.