When Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi announced a probe into the UK property scandal involving senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome, SAN, he struck a chord with many Nigerians who yearn for accountability in high places.
His words–that the case “bears sadly” on the integrity of the legal profession–were apt.
But Nigerians are not fooled. Integrity cannot be applied selectively. If the AGF is serious about cleansing the system, his probe must not stop at Ozekhome.
He must also confront the far more egregious allegations against Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike of the Court of Appeal.
Just days ago, activist Omoyele Sowore petitioned the Florida Attorney General, accusing Wike and his wife of secretly purchasing over $6 million worth of luxury properties in Florida – paid for in suspicious cash transactions, then transferred into the names of their children.
These deals bypassed banking oversight, raised serious money laundering concerns, and were allegedly not declared to Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau.
Let’s be clear: if proven true, this is not just about unexplained wealth. It is about a sitting minister, a former governor, and a serving senior judicial officer engaging in transactions that reek of corruption and impunity. This is not merely embarrassing; it is a direct assault on the rule of law.
Mr. Fagbemi cannot pretend not to see this. To go after Ozekhome while turning a blind eye to Wike would confirm what Nigerians already suspect – that the so-called fight against corruption is selective, weaponized against some while shielding others close to the corridors of power.
President Bola Tinubu’s government already suffers a trust deficit. Allowing Wike, one of his most powerful allies, to skate free of scrutiny while grandstanding about the “integrity” of the legal profession only deepens public cynicism.
Nigerians are tired of a system where the law has teeth for critics and opposition figures but is toothless against those in power.
If the AGF is serious about restoring faith in our justice system, he must demand explanations from Wike and his wife, refer the allegations to both the Code of Conduct Bureau and the National Judicial Council, and push for an independent investigation. Anything less will expose his crusade as hollow.
As long as selective justice prevails, impunity will reign. The AGF must prove that in Nigeria, no one – lawyer, minister, or judge – is above the law.
But Nigerians cannot fold their arms and wait. Civil society, the media, and ordinary citizens must hold the AGF and this government to account. Silence only emboldens corruption. The time to speak out is now because selective justice is no justice at all.
