Nigerians are reacting with a mix of outrage, sarcasm, and disbelief following revelations of alleged age falsification within the Imo State Judiciary—a scandal now drawing national attention and calling the integrity of judicial appointments into question.
Prominent human rights advocate and former Chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, ignited the conversation on this morning with a scathing post on X (formerly Twitter):
“The @njcNig has acted firmly on the allegations of age racketeering in the judiciary in Imo State, but Imo State is only an example. The #NJC has a duty to act more systemically. If a man is sitting in the High Court after burying his 72-year-old younger brother, something is wrong.”
The tweet, which has since gone viral, drew widespread reactions from Nigerians online, many questioning how senior judicial officers could continue to sit on the bench well beyond the mandatory retirement age of 65 for High Court Judges—especially amid open indications of falsified ages.
“He should be either 73, 74, or even 75. In fact, even if they are twin brothers, he should have retired. Judiciary has so much to do to reshape this country positively. Kudos, Prof, for all you’re doing to sanitize the system,” one user, @Pattosky2 replied.
Another user, Araba Kpura @KpuraAraba turned the revelation into sharp sarcasm:
“He probably reincarnated after his younger brother arrived.”
Some took a broader view, urging the National Judicial Council (NJC) to shine its searchlight on other states.
Legalpreneur @tonjieama reacted: “Please turn on the torchlight to Rivers State Judiciary. The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has a judge who could be well over 75. He can barely hear lawyers or walk straight!”
Others expressed disillusionment in even starker terms:
“Either the Judiciary is blind or the law is blind.”
“Wonders shall never cease! What an improper fraction!”
“Nigeria is a zoo.”
This latest episode comes on the heels of the NJC’s decision to recommend the compulsory retirement of ten judicial officers and clear nine Imo Judges from allegations of age falsification. But for many observers, the Imo incident is merely the tip of a deeply rotten iceberg.
Legal practitioners and civil society groups are now calling for a = warning that the Judiciary—the last hope of the common man—risks losing all credibility if such abuse continues unchecked.
“The rule of law cannot thrive in the hands of those who bend the rules to extend their stay on the bench,” one legal analyst remarked.
As the NJC prepares for what may become a broader cleansing of the Judiciary, Nigerians are watching keenly to see if these revelations will mark the beginning of true judicial reform—or yet another storm that fizzles out in silence.
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