Nigeria’s legal profession has been thrown into turmoil after the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) moved swiftly to disown and discipline officials of its Garki Branch over a controversial event allegedly honouring Abdulrasheed Maina, a former public official convicted of stealing more than ₦2 billion in pension funds.
The crisis erupted after a viral video surfaced online purporting to show a press conference and award ceremony in which Maina was named “Grand Patron” of the NBA Garki Branch. The footage sparked widespread outrage, with critics accusing the Bar of legitimising corruption and undermining public confidence in the justice system.
In a strongly worded statement, the Executive Committee of the NBA Garki Branch categorically denied authorising or sanctioning any such event, describing the video as a complete surprise to its leadership.
“The purported news conference and award presentation ceremony was never discussed, approved, or sanctioned,” the branch said, stressing that neither its executive officers nor its general membership had prior knowledge of the event.
The branch warned that honouring an individual whose criminal conviction remains the subject of ongoing appellate proceedings would amount to prejudging a matter that is sub judice—a violation of both legal ethics and the Bar’s commitment to the rule of law.
Chairman Suspended, Probe Launched
Following an emergency meeting held on January 23, the branch suspended its Chairman, Anthony Bamidele Ojo, pending a formal investigation into the incident. An ad hoc committee, headed by senior member Barnabas Oswald Kwamkur, was constituted to probe the circumstances surrounding the alleged conference and award.
Vice-Chairman Lydia Izan has since assumed leadership of the branch in an acting capacity.
The NBA Garki Branch urged members of the legal community and the public to disregard the event entirely, emphasising that it had no institutional backing and did not reflect the values of the Association.
National NBA Condemns ‘Putrid Actions’
The controversy escalated when the national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association weighed in, issuing a blistering condemnation of the purported appointment of Maina as “Grand Patron.”
NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, described the action as “reprehensible” and damaging to the integrity of the legal profession.
“The Bar will not, under any guise, lend its platform, name, or institutional credibility to influence public opinion or judicial proceedings,” Osigwe said. “Any attempt to do so constitutes a grave violation of professional ethics and a direct affront to the rule of law.”
The NBA directed Ojo to immediately withdraw any purported appointment of Maina and to cease issuing statements or representations in support of any litigant with cases pending before the courts.
The Association announced that disciplinary proceedings would be initiated against the Garki Branch Chairman, citing breaches of the NBA Constitution, the Rules of Professional Conduct, and core professional values.
Chairman Defends Actions, Later Distances Branch
In his own statement, Ojo sought to justify the engagement, saying representatives of Maina had approached the branch offering support for criminal justice reform initiatives. He claimed the recognition was a limited patronage acknowledgement tied solely to reform advocacy and not an endorsement of Maina’s past conduct or legal battles.
However, Ojo acknowledged that he was not fully aware of the procedural status of Maina’s criminal case at the time and conceded that greater caution should have been exercised.
Facing mounting backlash and institutional pushback, the branch ultimately distanced itself from both the award and any association with Maina, reaffirming its commitment to ethical clarity and judicial integrity.
“The integrity of the Branch and the legal profession remains non-negotiable,” the statement said, pledging corrective measures.
A Broader Credibility Test
The episode has become a flashpoint in Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with corruption, accountability, and public trust in institutions meant to uphold justice. Legal analysts say the incident underscores the heightened scrutiny facing professional bodies—and the reputational cost of even perceived alignment with convicted figures.
For the Nigerian Bar Association, the fallout represents not just an internal disciplinary matter, but a public test of its stated mission to defend the rule of law in a country where that principle is increasingly under strain.
