The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Tuesday disclaimed a protest by a group claiming to be lawyers over what they termed the illegal approach of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in handling its allegations against former Governor of Kogi, Yahaya Bello.
On Monday, no fewer than 500 persons who claimed to be legal practitioners from across the country stormed the Supreme Court complex. The protesters, under the umbrella of judicial watchdogs, faulted the siege on the ex-Governor’s residence, in a bid to arrest him, despite a valid court order to the contrary, which had not been vacated.
However, in a short notice to newsmen on Tuesday, the NBA, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Habeeb Lawal, stated that the group of protesters are not lawyers. The notice reads: “The above report refers. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is aware that some news outlets have reported this news. Please be informed that while the NBA respects the rights of citizens to assemble and protest, we insist that this particular group of persons are not lawyers.”
“For completeness, their supposed leader or convener Sylvanus K. Alewu is not a name known to us,” he added.
This development underscores the NBA’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the legal profession and distancing itself from unverified protests.