The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Memsem, has called on those alleging corruption within the Judiciary to present concrete evidence that can guide the appropriate authorities in taking action.
Justice Dongban-Memsem said: “We keep hearing of corruption among judges. Please, provide evidence. That is what we need.
“Since no one has come up with evidence that we are corrupt, I know that we are not corrupt. We are doing our best.”
She made the remarks on Monday in Abuja during a special court session marking the start of the Court of Appeal’s 2025/2026 legal year.
The PCA expressed discomfort over criticisms directed at the Judiciary, especially when the Executive arm extends support to the courts, noting that such assistance is essential for judicial efficiency.
Justice Dongban-Memsem also criticised the growing trend of lawyers encouraging petitions against judges simply because they disagree with court decisions.
She called for improved and secure accommodation for judicial officers, referencing a recent incident involving a retired judge of the Delta State Judiciary who was murdered in her home.
She said: “So, even after we have left office, we are still not safe, because of the decisions that we have taken.”
The Appeal Court president urged federal and state governments to provide housing for all judges, not just heads of courts.
“Our sacrifice to the nation is invaluable. We don’t have alternative places to go. We do not pass files to other people. We sit down, we write our judgments, we read the files, and sometimes, they are very heavy.
“So, we do not even have time to do other businesses to enable us to provide for ourselves. People should please not begrudge us if we are being supported by the government that we are serving. And their support does not change us.
“We look at the facts, and we apply the law. If we fail to do that, there are three levels of appeal. Judges can be wrong. But we do not choose to be wrong.
“We may misinterpret the facts. If you think we do it deliberately, bring up the facts. Go on an appeal. Judges should not be weighed down with answering petitions.
“Appeal when you can appeal. A judicial decision is supposed to be appealed against, not to be petitioned against,” she said.
Justice Dongban-Memsem noted that election-related disputes continue to consume substantial judicial time and urged political actors to resolve their disagreements internally rather than overburdening the courts.
She said: “We hope that the politicians will resolve their disputes internally and leave the court out of these. Endless litigations drain our scarce resources.
“We are currently in a serious debt. We, therefore, appeal to political actors: democracy cannot flourish if every electoral contest is dragged into the courtroom.
“The spirit of sportsmanship must prevail. We urge politicians to respect the will of the electorate, accept outcomes in good faith, and place the peace and progress of our nation above personal ambition,” she said.
The PCA announced ongoing efforts to appoint 11 new Justices to fill vacancies at the appellate court and urged the Attorney General of the Federation to push for the passage of a pending Bill seeking to expand the number of judicial officers.
She also highlighted improved performance in the last legal year, noting that the court received 5,225 appeals and 9,906 motions across its 20 divisions during the 2024/2025 legal year.
She added: “In the same period, we successfully determined 3,193 appeals and heard 5,623 motions. Of the appeals concluded, 2,503 were dismissed while 690 were allowed. As at 31st October 2025, the court has 31,618 appeals and 3,382 motions pending.
“When compared with the 2023/2024 legal year, a clear improvement emerges. In that year, only 2,299 appeals were determined, and the number of pending appeals stood at 41,952.
“The significant reduction in the backlog this year reflects the exceptional commitment and hard work of my brother Justices in dispensing justice judiciously and judicially,” she said.
