Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Human rights lawyer, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has raised alarm over a growing culture of deliberate misrepresentation of court proceedings by legal practitioners, warning that some lawyers now exaggerate, selectively report, or completely distort what transpired in court to impress clients, shape public opinion, or create a false impression of legal success. In a statement issued on Sunday, 12 July 2026, Ejiofor said the troubling trend marks a sharp departure from the professional discipline that once defined legal practice and threatens to erode public confidence in Nigeria's legal profession and the administration of justice.
Ejiofor, a renowned human rights advocate and former lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), recalled that during his early years in legal practice, lawyers were trained to give clients accurate and objective reports after every court appearance. "One of the earliest lessons I learnt during pupillage was that every court appearance carried with it a corresponding duty to accurately brief the client on what transpired in court. It was a compulsory professional discipline," he said. "Every lawyer who participated in proceedings was expected to prepare a faithful and objective report for the client, without embellishment or distortion." He, however, lamented that the standard has significantly deteriorated, with some lawyers now misrepresenting court proceedings to impress clients, influence public opinion, or project an illusion of success.
Ejiofor cited what he described as real-life examples of lawyers misleading their clients into believing they had won cases when no such judgments had been delivered. "I have personally witnessed a case in which a senior member of the Bar informed his clients that they had secured victory when, in truth, the Court merely declined jurisdiction and directed the parties back to the Court already seized of the matter," he said. "There was neither a determination of the merits nor a declaration in favour of either party. Yet, acting on counsel's misleading briefing, the clients organised elaborate celebrations, hired public address systems and publicly proclaimed victory over a judgment that never existed. Such incidents are not isolated."
He also recounted another incident before the High Court in Enugu State where, according to him, a lawyer confidently assured clients that judgment would go in their favour, only for the court to rule against them. "In another matter before the High Court in Enugu State, counsel confidently assured his clients that judgment would certainly be delivered in their favour and encouraged them to prepare for celebration. To their utter embarrassment, judgment was eventually entered against them before the very supporters assembled to celebrate, and who, following the unexpected outcome, quietly tucked away in nylon bags the celebratory garments they had painstakingly sewn in eager anticipation of a favourable judgment," Ejiofor said.
The human rights lawyer further stressed that repeated distortions of court proceedings may have prompted a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja to publicly livestream the delivery of judgment in a high-profile case. "Perhaps it was this disturbing and increasingly entrenched culture of misinformation and deliberate distortion of judicial proceedings that impelled a learned Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to adopt the unprecedented measure of live-streaming the delivery of his judgment," he said.
Ejiofor urged the Nigerian Bar Association to take a firm stand against lawyers who deliberately misrepresent court proceedings and rulings to their clients and the public, warning that unless urgently addressed, the disturbing trend may gradually erode public confidence in both the Bar and the administration of justice.
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