Appeal Court Judge: Nigerian lawyers need the Holy Spirit

Hon. Justice Dr. Frederick Oho, presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, Yola Division, has urged Nigerian lawyers to “seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit”. He said this while warning that decadence and corruption in the nation’s justice system had reached alarming levels. He spoke in Calabar, Cross River State, during the annual conference […]

Hon. Justice Dr. Frederick Oho, presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, Yola Division, has urged Nigerian lawyers to “seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit”.

He said this while warning that decadence and corruption in the nation’s justice system had reached alarming levels.

He spoke in Calabar, Cross River State, during the annual conference of the BCS International Lawyers’ Fellowship (BILF), themed “Revolutionizing the Justice System.”

Delivering a keynote lecture on “The Role of Spirit-led Lawyers in Promoting Integrity and Accountability in the Nigerian Justice System,” Oho said lawyers and judges must be spiritually led if meaningful reform is to take root.

He insisted that a Spirit-led lawyer carries a moral and legal duty to use the law for the progress and wellbeing of the vulnerable in society.

Oho argued that such lawyers must help sustain a courageous and independent judiciary, which he described as “the common man’s last bastion of hope.”

He added that accountability, institutional strength, and constitutional democracy depend heavily on practitioners who submit their professional conduct to divine guidance.

He stressed that Spirit-led lawyers were expected to show extraordinary courage in difficult circumstances, relying on divine strength to uphold justice.

According to the Appeal Court justice, promoting the rule of law fortifies democracy and supports the emergence of an egalitarian society.

However, he noted that Nigeria’s deepening socioeconomic and political crises pose major challenges for lawyers committed to these ideals.

Oho lamented that public perception of Nigerian lawyers has deteriorated due to allegations of sharp practices, falling standards in advocacy, archaic court registries, dilapidated court infrastructure, “and a sluggish justice system.”

He said only a spirit-led approach can restore credibility and efficiency.

Also speaking, former Dean of Faculty of law in the University of Calabar, Professor Jacob A. Dada, warned that lawyers cannot function effectively without a society governed by honesty and stable institutions.

He decried falling standards in legal education and an influx of quacks, adding that misconduct and corruption have badly tarnished the profession.

Dada cited “credible claims” of lawyers abetting fraud, corrupting legal processes, and showing alarming levels of incompetence and nonchalance, leading to dismissed cases and denied justice.

He called for a firm return to professional ethics and a rejection of what he termed “the inglorious badge of dishonour.”

Justice Ngei Tetenwi of the Rivers State Customary Court, who chaired the planning committee, expressed hope that the conference would energize reforms.

“As Spirit-led lawyers and judges, we must be beacons of hope, integrity, and accountability,” he said, insisting that justice must not only be done but must “manifestly be seen to be done.”