Buruji Kashamu ‘bought’ court judgments, had pre-written verdicts – Babafemi Ojudu
Babafemi Ojudu, senator who represented Ekiti Central, has revealed how late politician Buruji Kashamu, purchased court judgments from the comfort of his living room and possessed undelivered verdicts to cases that had not been concluded.
Ojudu, who is also a journalist and former Special Adviser Political Matters to President Muhammadu Buhari, narrated in a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday the level of corruption in the Nigerian judiciary, sharing a first-hand experience.
He wrote about the conflicting court judgments obtained by the different factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) based on influence and control of jurisdiction, adding that the confrontation between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Naval officer, AM Yerima, is an expression of loss of confidence in the judiciary.
The Ekiti-born politician revealed that he had a court case and Kashamu, a former senator who represented Ogun East senatorial district, offered to help out by inviting him to his house in Lagos.
“I am compelled to narrate this story in view of the contradictory rulings that recently emerged from Abuja and Ibadan over the contentious Peoples Democratic Party convention — judgments issued not on merit, but based on who has influence in particular jurisdictions. It is a dangerous sign of the times,” Ojudu wrote.
“Several years ago, during a political dispute in Ekiti, I received an unexpected call from the late Senator Buruji Kashamu. He invited me to Lagos, promising to help resolve the matter. Out of courtesy, I went.
“When I arrived, a prominent lawyer and another Ekiti politician were already seated in his living room. We exchanged greetings, and the conversation began casually enough.
“Then came the moment that still chills me. Kashamu excused himself, climbed the stairs, and returned with a briefcase. He set it down, opened it with a flourish, and turned to the lawyer with a smirk:
“‘Egbon, you refused when I asked you to write judgments for me. Each one would have earned you ₦50 million. Anyway, I have found another lawyer who does it very well.’”
“My friend looked at him, stunned. I sat rooted in disbelief. Kashamu then brought out file after file — documents no private citizen should possess.
“Inside that briefcase were: Judgments for cases already in court, judgments for cases he planned to file, judgments for cases he anticipated might be filed against him, all pre-written, all waiting for the right judge.
“He boasted that all he needed was to ensure his cases were assigned to “friendly judges.” Once that was done, he handed over the completed judgments — after greasing the necessary palms.
“It was a moment of horror. A moment when the illusion of justice crumbled.”
Kashamu passed away in 2020.
Ojudu’s write up comes after President Bola Tinubu eschewed the Nigerian judiciary against corruption at the opening of the 2025 All Nigerian Judges’ Conference of the Superior Courts at the National Judicial Institute in Abuja on Monday.
