A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has stated that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has no justification for keeping the “gift” from Rivers State and should immediately return the ₦300 million.
In a press statement, the senior lawyer argued that the NBA should not use any semantic arguments or bureaucratic procedures to hold onto the money.
According to Adegboruwa, lawyers are the moral compass of society and are expected to uphold the rule of law.
Therefore, the NBA should not be perceived as being in alliance with any government, particularly given the hardships faced by the general public.
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He suggested that the ₦300 million should be deposited into an escrow account managed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) until democracy is restored in Rivers State, emphasizing that the NBA is not a financial institution.
“If the money has been spent, I urge all SANs and senior lawyers to contribute N1m each to raise the money,” Adegboruwa added.
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The senior lawyer argued that the NBA should not need to solicit funds to host its lawyers’ conference, as lawyers pay annual practicing fees, and attendance fees are also charged for the event.
Adegboruwa urged senior members of the Bar to urgently step in and rectify what he termed “a collective disgrace.”
The NBA had decided to relocate its 2025 conference from Rivers State to Enugu in protest against President Bola Tinubu’s replacement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara with retired naval chief Ibok-ete Ibas on March 18, 2025.
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