The peaceful atmosphere that was witnessed on the first day of the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference taking place in Enugu, was on Monday disrupted following protests by a large crowd of people that demanded for the release of Hon. Bright Ngene, a lawyer and member of the Enugu State House of Assembly.
Hon. Ngene, who represents Enugu South Urban Constituency on platform of the Labour Party (LP), is currently serving a seven-year jail term as a result of his conviction by a Magistrate Court in the State over a community dispute, a development, his supporters, insist was politically motivated.
The protesters who carried various placards with different inscriptions that read; “Release Barr. Bright Ngene now, a political prisoner of conscience,” and “NBA please save our democracy,” “Release an innocent man”, the protesters accused the Enugu State judiciary of frustrating efforts to appeal his conviction.
The supporters noted that at least two judges had recused themselves while the case remained unassigned at the state High Court.
Addressing journalists, leader of the protesters, Mr. Benedict Kachukwu described Ngene’s incarceration since July 2024 as unjust, stressing that due process was not followed in his trial and therefore appealed to the NBA and senior lawyers attending the conference to as a matter of national interest and rule of law, intervene.
Security operatives prevented the protesters from gaining entrance into the main hall of the International Conference Centre, venue of the NBA conference, but the protesters staged a peaceful demonstration in and around the premises before dispersing.
