POISED to make judges more accountable and ensure corruption-free judiciary, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN) yesterday vowed to try corrupt judicial officers.

Malami, who disclosed the plan by his office to carry out an holistic reform in the justice sector, vowed, “corrupt judges will go to jail as the government of President Muhammadu Buhari will actively promote and ensure that they are prosecuted and their illegally acquired assets returned to the state.”

Speaking in Lagos at the launch of a report titled “Go home and sin no more: Corrupt judges escaping from justice in Nigeria,” by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), the minister said the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, in line with the cardinal agenda of President Buhari’s administration, would ensure that every appearance of corruption in the Judiciary is dealt with among other measures through criminal prosecution and forfeiture to the state of illegally acquired assets.

The report launched at Westown Hotels, Lagos, listed case studies of judicial corruption and the impunity of corrupt judges in the country.

According to Malami, “Considering the pivotal role that they play in the administration of justice, it is important to ensure that Nigerian judges, like the proverbial Caesar’s wife, are beyond reproach or even suspicion. Gone are the days when corrupt judges escaped from Justice in Nigeria!”

“I can assure you today that in line with the cardinal agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the office of the Attorney General shall ensure that every appearance of corruption in the judiciary is dealt with among other measures through criminal prosecution and forfeiture to the state of illegally acquired assets.”

“Acts of judicial impunity, he said will also not be condoned, so that our judges can be judicially accountable at all times in a corruption-free judiciary, which is both independent and impartial. All these, shall be achieved, (together with partners like SERAP), without violating the fundamental human rights of the persons involved, and in line with the rule of law and international best practices. That would be this administration’s own way of saying: ‘Go and sin no more…’!”