Nigeria, Jan. 4 -- There was a time in this country when the judiciary was not merely an arm of government but a moral architecture. Courts were temples in the old sense of the word, approached with solemnity, awe, and a quiet fear that justice, though slow, would eventually arrive. Judges were not celebrities, influencers, or political foot soldiers. They were men and women whose names carried weight not because of surnames, godfathers, or genealogies, but because of intellect, restraint, and an almost sacred commitment to the rule of law.

Today, that architecture looks less like a temple and more like a family-owned conglomerate. Welcome to Ajayi, Usman & Emenike Judiciary Company (AUE JC); a thriving enterprise where justice is franch...