The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has said that the group of protesters that besieged the Supreme Court on Monday, April 22, 2024 claiming to be lawyers protesting for former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello are not its members nor known to the legal profession.
The NBA specifically said that for completeness, the supposed leader or convener of the pro-Bello protesters, one Sylvanus Alewu is not a name known to the body of legal practitioners of Nigeria.
The Nigerian Bar Association which stated these while reacting to the claim of the protesters that they were lawyers, pointedly said that the protesters are not lawyers.
The NBA statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Habeeb Lawal said that while the Bar was aware that some news outlets reported that the protesters were lawyers, there was the need to state categorically that none of those that gathered at the Supreme Court is known to the NBA.
Lawal further said; “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.
Some media organisations had reported that “No fewer than 500 legal practitioners on Monday stormed the Supreme Court to condemn what they described as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) illegal approach against former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello”.
The co-convener of the group, Sylvanus K. Alewu, lamented the attempt by the EFCC to arrest Yahaya Bello in spite of being served a valid court order that restrains it from doing so.
Alewu who dressed in Lawyers outfit and claimed to be a lawyer, said not only has Bello’s fundamental rights been breached, the judiciary has also become willing tools in the hands of enemies of the rule of law.
He urged the Judicial Council of Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the EFCC to order to stop further abuse and disobedience of court orders.
“He said; “It has become pertinent again that we address well-meaning Nigerians on the current attacks on the Judiciary by the very institutions created by law to enforce and guarantee the sanctity of our judicial processes.
“As young lawyers, we envisage a judiciary where justice is not only done but also seen to be manifestly done. It is in our patriotic quest to always pursue ventures that guarantee an independent judiciary that dispenses justice without fear nor Favour that we formed this civil society of lawyers,” he had claimed.
