You’ve 24 hours – NBA demands release of detained lawyers, slams judges

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has condemned what it described arsenic rising cases of judicial bullying, accusing immoderate judges of abusing contempt powers to intimidate and unlawfully detain lawyers.

In a connection connected Thursday, jointly signed by Mazi Afam Osigwe, President, and Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, General Secretary, the NBA expressed “utmost shock” implicit reports from a Rivers State High Court wherever Justice Chinwendu Nwogu allegedly convicted and ordered the detention of a defence counsel, Mrs Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin, aft delivering judgement successful a suit involving the Chief of Naval Staff and others.

The relation besides cited a abstracted incidental astatine the Federal High Court successful Abuja, wherever Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia reportedly ordered the detention of a ineligible officer, Martin Anyanwu, successful the court’s holding installation connected March 25, 2026.

According to the NBA, determination person been disturbing accounts of lawyers being subjected to degrading attraction successful courtrooms, including being forced to kneel oregon look the partition nether menace of contempt. It warned that specified actions undermine the dignity of the ineligible assemblage and erode spot successful the justness system.

The assemblage stressed that not each enactment of discourtesy amounts to contempt, noting that disapproval of a justice oregon court—if made successful bully faith—does not warrant punitive measures.

It warned that misuse of contempt powers creates fearfulness successful courtrooms and thre...