As the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference continues with deliberations on national issues, child rights advocate and lawyer, Ebenezer Omejalile, has joined calls for urgent reforms in the judiciary.

Reacting to the recent indictment of the judiciary by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the United States government, Omejalile said their criticisms are “not far from the truth,” insisting that the justice system has degenerated into “a sham” and “a laughing stock before the world.”

According to him, the courts no longer inspire confidence but rather breed distrust, impunity and despair among citizens.

“If nothing changes, people will be forced to take law into their own hands when they lose faith in the courts,” he warned, adding that the situation could lead to a dangerous rise in jungle justice.

Omejalile accused some prosecutors of colluding with criminals to manipulate cases, while endless adjournments and procedural bottlenecks undermine justice delivery.

“The noble profession has now become a rubber stamp; you can easily predict outcomes,” he lamented.

Outlining a reform agenda, Omejalile called for a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach to tackle corruption in the judiciary.

His proposals include the passage of strong whistleblower protection laws to shield those who expose corruption; establishing independent courts with digital case management systems to expedite corruption cases; mandatory and genuine asset declarations by judges; and stricter oversight of procurement.

Others, he said, include leadership and ethics training for judicial officers to strengthen professional standards, embedding due process and international human rights conventions in judicial practice, and reforming the EFCC and ICPC to ensure independence, adequate funding, and effective collaboration.

In addition, the advocate noted that securing global support, including visa bans for corrupt officials and mobilising societal opposition to corruption so that public pressure reinforces accountability, would be of immense help.

He stressed that failure to act could plunge the country into deeper lawlessness.

“This is a time of reckoning. If nothing changes, the judiciary will completely lose credibility, and the people will no longer see it as the guardian of justice,” Omejalile warned.