₦airaland Forum

Throwback: See 1976 Story Of Judge Who Was Arrested For Collecting N20 Bribe

New Nigerian
(August 19, 1976)

​JUDGE ARRESTED OVER ₦20 BRIBE

From MOHAMMED SALAU, Makurdi

​AN area court judge in Benue State Judiciary has been arrested by the Benue State CID at Makurdi for allegedly demanding and receiving 20 Naira bribe from an accused who has a case in his court.

​According to a dependable police source, the judge had allegedly demanded a sum of 40 Naira from the accused in order to help him in his case. But the accused after some hesitation, produced only 20 Naira which was marked by the police.

​The accused was standing trial in a charge of allegedly receiving stolen property before the judge. His case had been adjourned several times while the accused was put in prison custody.

​Confirming the story, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. O.A. Olowu, said, his men closed up on the area court judge immediately he received the bribe from the accused.

​He said that the Ministry of Justice had directed that the judge's case be taken to the Makurdi High Court for summary trial.

​Meanwhile, the commissioner added, the suspect's department had been advised to interdict the judge pending the determination of the case.

​Mr Olowu explained that the police had given bail to the judge while his case would soon be taken to court for trial.

Source

N20 according to the exchange rate in 1976 was $36.

Not much even as at then, corruption was just not seen as a slight thing.

It was actually a lot, even then. You could buy several bags of rice with N20 back then.

gbadexy:
Not much even as at then, corruption was just not seen as a slight thing.

Newspaper cost ten kobo, N1 could buy ten papers, N20 could buy 200 copies of the paper.

Was he later released?

BlackViper:
It was actually a lot, even then. You could buy several bags of rice with N20 back then.

Could the equivalent in today's money be used to bribe such official.

I guess it could. N20 in 1976 when adjusted for inflation would be worth about N100,000 today.

An area court judge is the lowest level in the judiciary and lower court judges usually aren't paid very much. In some states their salary can be as low as N120,000 a month.

gbadexy:
Could the equivalent in today's money be used to bribe such official.

Imagine judges of this days

N20bn and apc alliance, u r good to go

Then the Nigerian government system was upright and sane. After all, the British just left with so much to emulate..

That #20 is equivalent to #400,000+ as at today. Now tell me, with the level of bribery and corruption today, which judge would accept such, when it's not million million.?

It is only in Nigeria, the throwback is far better than the current state...

Today the same judiciary are seriously romancing and swimming in more worst corruption. What a country.

Today, they are celebrated, and promoted.

Now a dipso in Abuja bribes them with mansions which has now made the judiciary the last hope of the elites!, and VDM the hope of the poor masses... 😅

Judges of nowadays will accept only at list 2M naira bribe. That means within 50 years, the inflation of Nigeria is 100,000%. What black people cannot destroy does not exist.

Let's arise and start doing something positive in Africa instead of destroying good things.

Did you know that some judges will recuse themselves in the past for the appearance of things even if not proven?

You don't mean corruption has been.....
Anyway .... I love this your detailed analyses... Its understandable

Now judges collect billions and houses as bribe

BlackViper:
It was actually a lot, even then. You could buy several bags of rice with N20 back then.

How many bags of akara from those empowered by Remi Tinubu can one buy with the amount now? Those who were made extreme poverty paupers by APC palliative sharing strategy, whom her husband gave renewed hope of 50 million jobs but has failed to deliver as usual.

The impoverishment couple of Bourdillon are destroying the entire country just as they have been doing since 1999 for Lagos state.

Buhari also dealt with them but Tinubu is aiding them

Kingpele:
Now judges collect billions and houses as bribe

................and then give programmed judgements to their benefactors.

iwaeda:
Wike Boasts Of Helping APC Use Judiciary To Kill Osun LG Funds Case, Warns Party Leaders Against Ingratitude

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has openly boasted that he assisted certain elements within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in deploying the judiciary to frustrate the Osun State local government allocation lawsuit.

In a video now circulating widely on social media and obtained by SaharaReporters, Wike made the claim while addressing a crowd in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The former Rivers governor accused the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, of benefitting from judicial actions against the Osun State Government without knowing those who did the work behind the scenes.

The suit in question led to the withholding of local government funds in Osun State, a development widely seen as targeting the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as opposition in the state.

Wike, who spoke angrily, suggested that the court action supporting the APC’s position against the Osun government did not happen by chance, boasting that powerful political forces worked quietly to ensure the outcome.

“Don’t take our support for Mr President for granted,” Wike warned, in an apparent message to APC leaders defending Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara. “You have to be careful about the statements you make. You have to be very careful.”

He accused Basiru of political ingratitude, claiming the APC was enjoying in Osun State without understanding who engineered their advantage.

“Today, you are enjoying in Osun. You don’t know those who did the work,” Wike said. “You are opening your mouth to talk about Rivers State.”

https://saharareporters.com/2026/01/08/wike-boasts-helping-apc-use-judiciary-kill-osun-lg-funds-case-warns-party-leaders

Minister Wike has warned the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru to stay clear of Rivers State.
Lol 😆 https://t.co/sNKjJfb8qn pic.twitter.com/E9SgSwASil

— Emma ik Umeh (Tcee )🇳🇬 (@emmaikumeh) January 5, 2026

BlackViper:
N20 according to the exchange rate in 1976 was $36.

No judge will take $36 from anybody right now, even lower court magistrates, the judge was greedy and foolish.

Even $100 too small na

BEFORE ANY OF YOU THINK THAT THAT 20 NAIRA IN 1976 IS SMALL MONEY.....LET ME PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE FOR YOU ALL:

YOU SEE THAT 20 NAIRA IN 1976....YOU GO USE AM FORK ALL THE ASHYS WEY DEY THE ASHY JOINT PLUS THEIR MADAM JOIN

In this day and age, don't be surprised that some bribery negotiation starts at N20 billion naira. How the society has decayed.

BlackViper:
It was actually a lot, even then. You could buy several bags of rice with N20 back then.

Not a lot. A bag of cement in 1976 was #10 at the late 70s.

Which judge takes bribe because of what can't buy them an equivalent of an iPhone 12??

Corruption was just highly frowned at . There were not much money in the system. People were poor. Money has not been demonized and seen as a vehicle for everything.

And the cardinal to measure success back then wasn't always money but integrity and talling academic achievements.

BlackViper:
N20 according to the exchange rate in 1976 was $36.

Check the value of 1976 $36 in today’s dollars.

That’s $210 in today’s dollars which is about 3 million naira today.

Judiciary worse than politicians and police combined now.

James Omotosho and Peter Lifu lead and others following, including female CJN who they say, she is a strict woman and claimed to be no nonsense woman from religion who controversially claiming they are above board.

Na dem start yahoo and na dem start corruption... Sha na Britain teach us corruption sha... Teacher taught us nonsense

That was when Nigeria was Nigeria

I wonder how he would feel today.

That was big money then oh