A group of lawyers under the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to refer the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, SAN, to the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) for allegedly reprimanding a judge in public.
The LPPC, responsible for conferring the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and maintaining professional standards among senior lawyers, was urged to investigate the NBA President’s conduct and determine appropriate sanctions if necessary.
The NLS’ demand follows an incident at the Federal High Court on Monday, where Mohammed Umar ordered defense counsel Marshall Abubakar, representing politician and publisher Omoyele Sowore, to kneel in open court for raising his voice during proceedings.
Justice Umar also threatened to commit the lawyer to prison for contempt before other counsel intervened and pleaded for leniency, prompting him to withdraw the directive.
Reacting to the development, Osigwe, in a statement on behalf of the NBA, condemned the judge’s action.
“A judge directing a legal practitioner or indeed any person whatsoever to kneel in court is not a recognized judicial sanction under our laws and does not align with the standards of judicial conduct expected on the bench,” he said.
However, the NLS described the NBA president’s response as inappropriate and capable of undermining the authority of the judiciary.
In a letter dated March 17, 2026, signed by its Executive Secretary, Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the group said, “Assuming, though not conceding, Mr. Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, in his capacity as President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), is entitled to freedom of speech under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, there are legally prescribed channels to express his dissatisfaction, such as submission of a petition against the said judge to the National Judicial Council (NJC).”
The NLS stressed that constitutional rights are not absolute, adding, “As a general rule of law, the right to freedom of speech, as well as other rights guaranteed under the Constitution of Nigeria, do not confer absolute rights.”
Citing what it described as a contradiction in Osigwe’s conduct, the group said, “Only one week ago, the same President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) wrote a public press statement admonishing the Code of Conduct Bureau to desist from inviting or investigating the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court… Therefore, it is a contradiction for the same President… to be quick to write a press statement in condemnation of Hon. Justice Mohammed Garba Umar instead of seeking his referral to the NJC.”
The association also referenced a previous warning by the CJN, stating, “Your Lordship stated that the NBA President and others should be specific by naming the specific judges that are corrupt as well as submitting concrete evidence of corruption against the said judges to the NJC.”
It further urged immediate action, saying, “It is for the foregoing reasons that we write to request your urgent intervention to refer the President of the NBA to the NJC for him to substantiate his claims.”
Raising concerns over possible implications, the NLS added, “It must be noted that the urgent intervention of Your Lordship is needed… so let it not be that this is an attempt to blackmail and intimidate judges.”
The group also decried what it described as declining professional standards among lawyers, noting, “The adherence to professional conduct is at an all-time low amongst Nigerian lawyers, as evident by the increasing number of cases at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).”
It concluded by emphasizing the powers of judges in maintaining order in court: “We conclude by stating that all Nigerian judges enjoy the power and authority to apply discretion in imposing any penalties for acts of contempt in the face of the court… Judges and other judicial officials must be granted more discretion to tackle this menace.”
