FCT Judges Cry Out Over Chief Justice’s Embezzlement of Multibillion-Naira Allowance

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which handles civil and criminal cases in Nigeria’s capital Abuja and its environs, is facing a crisis of corruption and neglect that threatens the administration of justice in the country’s seat of power.

Peoples Gazette has learnt from exclusive interviews with five judges on the court that they have been suffering under the leadership of Chief Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, who has been accused of misappropriating funds, mistreating his colleagues, and running the court like his personal fiefdom.

The judges, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from the National Judicial Council (NJC), revealed that they have been struggling to cope with the economic hardship in the country after President Bola Tinubu removed subsidies on petrol in a bid to avert a fiscal crisis.

They said their salaries have not been reviewed since 2007 when President Umar Yar’Adua increased them from N200,000 to N530,000 monthly (about $600). They also said their allowances have been slashed by Mr Baba-Yusuf, who pockets the difference for himself.

The judges lamented that they lack adequate staff and equipment to perform their duties effectively, as they preside over cases involving billions of naira and powerful individuals and entities.

They said they are often approached by agents of corruption who try to bribe them to influence their rulings, but they have resisted such temptations and maintained their integrity and oath of office. They said they are unable to feed themselves or provide quality education for their children, and they feel like “secondary school boys” under Mr Baba-Yusuf’s authoritarian rule.

The judges said they have reported their grievances to the NJC, which oversees the appointment and discipline of judicial officers in Nigeria, but no action has been taken to address their plight or curb Mr Baba-Yusuf’s excesses. They said their situation worsened after a recent training trip to Morocco, where they were subjected to humiliation and deprivation by Mr Baba-Yusuf.

The judges’ complaints echo those of their counterparts at the Supreme Court, who in 2022 wrote a scathing memo to then-Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad, accusing him of being irresponsible and morally bankrupt after he withheld their utility and data allowances.

The Gazette reported that Mr Tanko resigned shortly after the memo was leaked. It remains unclear if Mr Baba-Yusuf will face a similar fate.

Mr Baba-Yusuf, who was born in June 1962 and is due for retirement in 2032, became the chief justice of the FCT High Court in 2021. He has declined to comment on the allegations against him, despite repeated attempts by The Gazette to reach him.

He initially claimed he was ill and asked for a week’s delay to respond, but he hung up when contacted again 10 days later. The court’s chief registrar also promised to discuss the matter with him and get back to The Gazette, but he failed to do so.

The FCT High Court is one of the most important judicial institutions in Nigeria, as it handles cases that affect the federal government, its agencies, and officials. The court also oversees several magistrate courts that deal with minor offences and disputes. The crisis rocking the court could undermine its credibility and efficiency, as well as erode public confidence in the judiciary.

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