The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for punitive actions against lawyers and judges involved in issuing conflicting orders in the legal dispute over the Kano Emirate.
The association expressed concern that the actions of these legal professionals have brought ridicule and disrepute to the entire legal profession in Nigeria.
In a statement released by its President, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 in Abuja, the NBA vowed to bring any culpable lawyer before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for appropriate sanctions. Maikyau also urged the Chief Judges of the Federal High Court and the Kano State High Court to identify the judicial officers involved and refer them to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for disciplinary action.
“I have keenly followed the developments on the recent events concerning the stool of the Emir of Kano,” Maikyau said. He described the conduct of counsel and courts in handling the proceedings as disgraceful and damaging to the legal profession’s reputation. He emphasized that the conflicting orders have caused significant confusion and brought the legal profession into public ridicule.
Maikyau’s statement underscored the need for urgent scrutiny of the professional conduct of the counsel and judges involved. He called on the heads of the respective courts to investigate possible abuses of judicial office and file a report with the NJC. The NBA has also directed its Ethics and Disciplinary Committee to invite the involved counsel for preliminary investigations, with a view to taking disciplinary action if professional misconduct is found.
“The NBA shall continue to stand for and protect the integrity, welfare, and independence of the Bar and the Judiciary,” Maikyau stated. He emphasized that the legal profession must resist any attempts to compromise its independence and bring erring members to book to maintain the profession’s respect and credibility.
Maikyau also reflected on the broader impact of the judiciary’s integrity on national peace and development, quoting Sheikh Othman Dan Fodiyo: “A people can exist without religion but they cannot exist without justice.” He called for a focus on justice to achieve peace and advancement for the nation.
