Afe Babalola Accused of Bribing Five Judges to Influence Adamawa Governor’s Case

Published on December 9, 2024

A leaked U.S. government cable has revealed allegations against renowned lawyer Afe Babalola.

The cable claims that Babalola bribed five judges at the Court of Appeal in the early 2000s to secure a favorable judgment for his client, then-Adamawa Governor Boni Haruna.

According to the classified document, Babalola spent at least $1.125 million on the judges, with each of the judges receiving $225,000.

The bribe was allegedly used to influence the court’s decision to restore Haruna to office after an election petitions tribunal had sacked him due to electoral malpractice.

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A senior lawyer on Babalola’s team confessed to the U.S. government that the senior advocate had used cash to win the controversial case. The lawyer also admitted to being part of the team that delivered tens of millions of Naira to the appellate judges to purchase their preferred ruling.

“The verdicts of the appeals court and the election tribunal differed so significantly on their findings of the relevant facts that they beg the question of whether one verdict or the other may have been ‘influenced’ by outside parties,” the foreign cable stated.

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“According to an attorney for Haruna, the outcome was ensured in typical Nigerian fashion: with cash,” stated the leaked U.S. government cable. “The attorney, who works for Presidential attorney Afe Babalola, said that when President Obasanjo sent Babalola to take over the appeal, he also sent cash to be used for the appeal.”

The controversy has also led to increased interest in a book written by Human Rights Lawyer Dele Farotimi.

Farotimi is currently in Ekiti State Police Command custody for allegedly defaming Babalola. In the book, Farotimi accuses Babalola of bribing judges to influence court decisions, specifically in the case of former Adamawa Governor Boni Haruna.

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The book has become a bestseller on Amazon, with many Nigerians purchasing it to read the damning accusations against Babalola.

Babalola has denied the corruption allegations and has insisted that he will not back down until he clears his name.

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