Okutepa made the call while reacting to a recent report by TheNigeriaLawyer titled “LPDC Must Investigate: Lawyers Urge Justice Nwite to Petition Against Those Allegedly Approaching Him in Malami N8.7 Billion Money Laundering Trial.”
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, has called for decisive and immediate sanctions against any lawyer or litigant who attempts to improperly influence judicial officers, warning that such conduct threatens the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system.
Okutepa made the call while reacting to a recent report by TheNigeriaLawyer titled “LPDC Must Investigate: Lawyers Urge Justice Nwite to Petition Against Those Allegedly Approaching Him in Malami N8.7 Billion Money Laundering Trial.”
According to TheNigeriaLawyer, the senior lawyer, who is also the lead prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), urged judges to take firm action against offenders.
“I think it is time for judicial officers to order the arrest of any lawyer or litigant who approaches them for judicial favour,” Okutepa said. “Since I was called to the Bar in 1991, I have never directly or indirectly approached any judicial officer for favour. I am an apostle of the purity of justice. Those who practise law must depart from iniquity.”
He further advocated for the “naming and shaming” of individuals who seek to pollute the justice system, stressing that ethical conduct must be upheld by all legal practitioners.
Okutepa’s comments come amid growing calls from members of the legal community for Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to petition the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) over alleged attempts by unidentified persons to influence his decisions in an ongoing high-profile corruption case.
Justice Nwite had earlier raised the alarm in open court, revealing that he had received private approaches aimed at compromising proceedings in the N8.7 billion money laundering trial involving former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz.
Following the granting of bail to the defendants, the judge issued a stern warning to lawyers and litigants, declaring that he would not tolerate any form of improper approach.
He reaffirmed his commitment to discharging his judicial duties without fear or favour and cautioned that any attempt to pervert the course of justice would be firmly resisted.
Justice Nwite, however, did not name any specific individuals or indicate whether the alleged approaches came from the defence or prosecution teams. Malami’s defence is led by Chief Joseph Daudu (SAN), while the EFCC prosecution team is headed by Okutepa.
The matter has since generated widespread reactions on social media, with several lawyers demanding that the LPDC investigate the allegations and sanction any practitioner found culpable.
Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have also alleged that similar conduct has occurred in other high-profile cases, though no specific names were mentioned.
The defendants are standing trial on a 16-count charge of alleged money laundering before Justice Nwite in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025.
According to the EFCC, the defendants engaged in suspicious financial transactions and used multiple bank accounts and property acquisitions across Abuja, Kano and Kebbi States to conceal the origin of funds allegedly derived from unlawful activities.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the offences were committed between 2015 and 2025, a period covering Malami’s eight-year tenure as Attorney-General under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In one of the counts, the EFCC accused Malami and his son of directing Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited between July 2022 and June 2025 to conceal over N1 billion in a Sterling Bank account, knowing the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.
The court has issued an interim forfeiture order on 57 properties linked to the case, pending final determination. Malami has consistently denied the allegations and was granted bail in the sum of N500 million.
The case has been adjourned to February 17, 2026, for the commencement of trial.