Revelations from a leaked U.S. government cable reveal that prominent lawyer Afe Babalola disbursed at least $1.125 million to five judges who presided over the Court of Appeal in the early 2000s to obtain a favourable ruling for his client, then Adamawa Governor Boni Haruna.
Mr Babalola allegedly bribed a panel of five appellate judges, headed by Justice Pius Olayiwola Aderemi, with $225,000 each to reinstate Mr Haruna after an election petitions tribunal ousted him on the basis of electoral malpractice, according to classified U.S. intelligence published by the global transparency group, WikiLeaks.
The document referenced a senior lawyer who followed Mr Babalola in delivering tens of millions of naira to appellate judges to secure a desired verdict.
At 95 years old, Mr Babalola had built a reputation for winning cases throughout his legal career, making him a highly sought-after advocate among Nigeria’s elite, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, governors, and other high-profile figures.
However, a lawyer on Mr Babalola’s team disclosed to the U.S. government that the senior advocate won the controversial case through bribery, claiming he was one of those who transported N30 million in untraceable banknotes to bribe the justices at Mr Babalola’s direction.
CREDIT: JOURNALIST 101