Afe Babalola, 24 others get N1.1bn fees from FG
- Federal Government paid N1.1bn in legal fees over three years.
- Payments made to prominent Nigerian lawyers including Afe Babalola, SAN, and Wole Olanipekun, SAN.
- Data analyzed from GovSpend reveals payments for legal services by the Ministry of Justice.
The Federal Government has paid around N1.1 billion in legal fees over the past three years to Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, and 23 other law firms. This information was revealed through data from GovSpend, a platform that tracks the government’s spending.
Legal services provided by these lawyers include offering advice, drafting documents, representing clients in court, and handling business transactions such as negotiations and regulatory compliance.
In July 2024, Babalola, Olanipekun, and Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, collectively received a total of N482.7 million from the Federal Ministry of Justice. Babalola was paid N372.9 million for representing the government in a specific court case, while Olanipekun and Izinyon received N103.6 million and N6.2 million, respectively.
The Ministry’s records also show that in 2022, 17 lawyers received N359.7 million in total fees, while four lawyers earned N319.3 million in 2021. Among the lawyers who were paid in 2022 were firms like Savannah Law Chambers, Lex Habitae, and Rashida Mohammed & Co, with payments ranging from N15 million to N70 million.
In 2021, prominent payments included N174 million to Chikwendu Madumere, N100.5 million to Sulaiman Salihu & Co, and smaller amounts to other firms such as LDS Legal and Olowolafe & Co.
Additionally, Babalola and Olanipekun paid significant taxes. Babalola paid N31 million in VAT, while Olanipekun paid N8.6 million. Both also contributed to the Ministry of Justice through withholding taxes totaling N41.4 million and N11.5 million, respectively.
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