In a stunning move that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria's legal community, prominent Abuja-based human rights attorney Dr. S. M. Oyeghe, Esq. has launched a scathing attack on the Federal Capital Territory's Magistrate Court system, alleging widespread corruption, prosecutorial overreach, and a deliberate subversion of justice.

In a meticulously detailed petition addressed to the FCT Chief Judge and Director of Magistrates, Dr. Oyeghe paints a damning picture of a court system in crisis. At the heart of his allegations lies a controversial practice that he claims has turned bail hearings into a "money-making venture" for unscrupulous prosecutors.

The petition, which has also been forwarded to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, takes aim at what Dr. Oyeghe describes as an "oppressive, unlawful, anti-justice, and exploitative" system that allows prosecutors to verify surety addresses even after bail has been granted by the court.

"It's a perversion of justice," Dr. Oyeghe told this reporter in an exclusive interview. "We have situations where defendants are languishing in custody for days, sometimes weeks, simply because a prosecutor claims to be 'unavailable' to verify addresses. This is despite the fact that a court of law has already deemed these individuals worthy of bail."

The attorney's crusade against alleged judicial impropriety was sparked by his involvement in the high-profile case of IGP v. Owoupele Eneonekumoh. Despite securing bail for his client on July 31, 2025, Dr. Oyeghe claims that prosecutorial stonewalling has kept Eneonekumoh behind bars.

"The prosecutor, A. S. Oyeyemi, Esq., first claimed to be out of town," Dr. Oyeghe explained. "Then he became mysteriously unreachable. Meanwhile, my client sits in a cell, his constitutionally guaranteed rights trampled upon by a system that seems designed to obstruct rather than facilitate justice."

But address verification is just the tip of the iceberg, according to the explosive petition. Dr. Oyeghe alleges a litany of abuses within the FCT Magistrate Court system, including:

- A blanket refusal to entertain oral bail applications, forcing defendants into potentially lengthy written processes.
- Inexplicable delays in bail rulings, with some defendants waiting weeks for decisions.
- The imposition of what Dr. Oyeghe terms "impossible" bail conditions, such as requiring Level 16 or 17 civil servants as sureties or demanding property ownership in Abuja's most exclusive neighborhoods.
- Prosecutors engaging in "forum shopping," filing cases in distant or favorable courts to gain tactical advantages.

"What we're seeing is nothing short of a systematic dismantling of the principles of fair and speedy justice," Dr. Oyeghe declared. "It's a betrayal of everything our legal system is meant to stand for."

The petition calls for sweeping reforms, including the implementation of a centralized filing system for First Information Reports to combat forum shopping and restore public faith in the judiciary.

As news of Dr. Oyeghe's allegations spreads, legal experts are calling for a thorough investigation. "If even a fraction of these claims are substantiated, we're looking at a crisis of confidence in our magistrate court system," said Professor Aisha Yusuf, a criminal law expert at the University of Abuja.

The FCT Judiciary has yet to officially respond to the petition, but sources within the system, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggest that an internal review may already be underway.

As Abuja's legal community braces for potential fallout, all eyes are now on the FCT Chief Judge. Will this petition spark the judicial revolution Dr. Oyeghe and his supporters are calling for, or will it be business as usual in the capital's courtrooms? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the fight for justice in Abuja is far from over.