Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to allocate houses to judges, describing the policy as discriminatory, illegal, and inconsistent with the constitutional principle of equality before the law.
Falana, who spoke at a public event, argued that although judicial officers deserve decent accommodation and adequate security to carry out their duties effectively, extending such benefits exclusively to judges while neglecting other public servants amounts to unequal treatment.
He questioned the legal basis for the government’s action, saying Nigeria must begin to challenge what he described as special privileges granted to top public officials.
“I was saddened when I saw the Federal Government handing over keys of houses to judges. I asked myself, under what law are we operating? It is discriminatory and illegal,” he said.
The senior lawyer maintained that government welfare policies should be implemented fairly across all categories of public servants, stressing that judges should not be singled out for preferential treatment.
According to him, professionals such as university lecturers, who also make significant contributions to national development, deserve similar attention. He lamented that many professors are poorly paid and lack adequate housing despite their years of service.
Falana also criticised the benefits enjoyed by former governors currently serving in the National Assembly. He noted that many of them continue to receive legislative salaries and allowances while also benefiting from houses provided by their states and in Abuja, unlike career civil servants who retire after decades of service without similar support.
He warned that policies that grant exclusive privileges to a select group of public officials could face legal challenges, insisting that the constitutional principle of equality before the law must be respected.
The criticism follows the inauguration of 20 residential units built for judges of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Katampe, Abuja.
During the inauguration, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, announced that the houses would be allocated to judges on an owner-occupier basis, subject to the approval of President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Wike also disclosed plans to construct additional courts and more residential housing for judges as part of efforts to strengthen judicial infrastructure in the FCT.
The initiative has, however, attracted criticism from civil society groups. Socio-accountability organisation MonITNG argued that the FCT Administration should prioritise providing essential services such as clean water, healthcare, and quality education to residents of underserved satellite communities rather than focusing on housing projects for judges.
The group said the decision raises concerns about the government’s spending priorities at a time when many communities in the nation’s capital continue to face inadequate access to basic amenities.
