Nigerian judges and magistrates received the highest amount of bribes among public officials in 2023, surpassing the police, customs, and military personnel, a report by the country’s national statistical office said.

The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its corruption pattern and trend in Nigeria for 2023, ranked judges as first among collectors of cash bribes among other public officials.

“There are large variations in the size of bribes paid by citizens, according to the types of public officials who receive them,” NBS said in the report released Thursday.

“Among all types of public officials for which there was sufficient data, with an average of NGN 31,000, the largest cash bribes were paid to judges and magistrates, followed by customs or immigration service officers (NGN17,800) and members of the armed forces (NGN16,600).”

It added, “By contrast, much smaller average amounts were paid to doctors, nurses and midwives (NGN 6,000), public utility officers (NGN 4,600) and other health workers (NGN 2,900).”

The survey also records a staggering N721 billion in bribes collected by Nigerian public officials, adding, “Average cash bribe paid in Nigeria in 2023 amounted to NGN 8,284.”

The survey uncovers a troubling hierarchy of corruption in Nigerian public institutions, with judges entrusted with upholding justice being receivers of the largest bribes, echoing the public perception of a corrupt judiciary.

This revelation follows recent comments from the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, who lamented that the judiciary is no longer the hope of the common man, but “it is also, or majorly now, the last hope of the big shots.”

Before the release of the NBS report, in 2023, retired Justice Muhammad Dattijo, in his valedictory speech, condemned the judiciary as corrupt and responsible for public disillusionment. 

“It has been in the public space that court officials and judges are easily bribed by litigants to obviate delays and or obtain favourable judgements,” Mr Dattijo asserted.