A coalition of civil society organizations, have commended the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrr. Afam Osigwe (SAN), for his principled demonstration of support for the rule of law by coming to the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, to observe proceedings during the arraignment of human rights and pro-democracy campaigner, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, on alleged cybercrime charges.
According to the body, “the symbolic, yet, courageous act of the NBA President underscores the critical role of legal professionals in general, and the NBA in particular, in safeguarding democratic principles and ensuring that justice prevails in our society.
The CSOs included: Media Rights Agenda (MRA); Hope Behind Bars Africa; Restorative Justice for Africa Initiative; Paradigm Initiative (PIN); Yiaga Africa; NULAI NIGERIA, and BO Foundation for Inclusive Media (BOFIM).
Others are Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria (HRJN); International Press Centre (IPC); Global Rights; Nigeria Network of NGOs; Sesor Empowerment Foundation; Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC); Dataphyte Foundation; Digicivic Initiative and TechHerNG.
They stated: “The NBA President’s presence in court sent a strong message about the importance of transparency, fairness, and accountability in the judicial process.
“It demonstrated that the legal profession remains vigilant and committed to upholding the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria.
“We recognize this as a significant step towards promoting public confidence in the judiciary based on the fact that while no one is above the law, there are at the same time widespread concerns about persistent disregard for due process and judicial independence.
“In the light of this commendable gesture, we urge the Nigerian Bar Association to institutionalize court observation by establishing dedicated legal monitoring teams to undertake such trial observations.
“We also call on the NBA to play a proactive role in advocating for judicial reforms, ensuring the protection of human rights defenders, and challenging the weaponization of the Cybercrime Act against activists and journalists. This would serve as a further practical demonstration of the legal profession’s commitment to protecting human rights and democratic principles, especially given that one of the NBA’s institutional core objectives is “to promote and protect the principles of the Rule of Law and respect for Human Rights”.
They recommended that the NBA continues to engage with relevant stakeholders, including civil society organizations, to develop a framework for identifying cases that require observation and ensuring continuous advocacy for judicial integrity.
“The collective responsibility of legal practitioners, civil society, and citizens is crucial for the preservation of democracy and the rule of law. We stand ready to support the NBA in any way necessary to ensure the success of this initiative,” they stated.
