The Nigerian Supreme Court has issued a harsh penalty to a legal practitioner, ordering him to pay a personal fine of N50 million. The court ruled that the lawyer submitted a vexatious application aimed at overturning a final judgment, warning that failure to pay within 90 days would result in a permanent ban from appearing before any court in the country.
The controversy stems from a June 4, 2025, Supreme Court ruling regarding a leadership dispute in the Gwandu Emirate Council of Kebbi State. Representing Alhaji AlMustapha Haruna Jokolo, lawyer S.M. Danyaro filed a motion in October 2025 requesting that the court vacate its own judgment. The application alleged that the original ruling was obtained through fraud and misrepresentation of state law. The respondents, led by Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, countered that the application was a clear abuse of process, emphasizing that Supreme Court decisions are legally binding and not subject to review.
Delivering the lead ruling on May 15, Justice Jamilu Tukur clarified that Order 20 Rule 4 of the Supreme Court Rules is limited to correcting minor clerical errors or accidental slips. He explicitly stated that the rule cannot be used to reargue settled issues or request a new panel to hear a case that has already been adjudicated. The court condemned the filing as a direct challenge to its institutional integrity.
The panel, which included Justices Uwani Abba-Aji, Ibrahim Saulawa, Emmanuel Agim, and Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, criticized the legal counsel for failing to uphold professional standards. The court maintained that the Supreme Court is not an experimental space for speculative litigation. By attempting to relitigate a concluded matter, the counsel undermined the finality of judicial authority. Consequently, the application was dismissed, and the original judgment remains in full effect.
