NBA mull punitive measures against fake “lawyers” involved in smear campaigns against ex -NNPCL GCEO

The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) imay be forced to apply the sledge hammer against persons parading themselves as lawyers who are involved in campaign of calumny and blackmail against the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigeria National Petroleum company limited (NNPCL).

The empowerment for unemployed youths (EUYI)joined led by Comrades Solomon Adodo, Danesi Momohs and Igwe Ude-umanta dropped the hint on Thursday at a press conference held in Abuja.

EUYI in a petition to the NBA President dated 5th May 2025, joined signed by Comrades Solomon Adodo, Danesi Momohs and Igwe Ude-umanta urged the NBA to probe into the statuses of Barr. Aminu Bello, Rotimi Adeyemo, Benjamin Theophilus, Emmanuel Agada and Asika Raymond that variously claimed to be leaders of the group with numberical strength of 500.

EUYI described the “so called lawyers” as an amorphous group that have carefully created an ambiguity in claiming to be Guardians of Democracy and the Rule of Law is a group of lawyers and coalition of civil society groups, thereby giving out the impression that all those involved in their activities are lawyers, while building an alibi that some are just members of the civil society.

“We suspect that some of them May not even be lawyers. And if they are, we contend that their activities are unethical. It should come under your scrutiny,” EUYI noted in the petition to NBA.

EUYi particularly expressed concerned that such group of lawyers went out of their ways to call for the trial of Kyari who is yet to be investigated.

EUYI noted that strangely, after some civil society groups questioned the tactics employed by this so called Concerned Citizens Against Corruption and challenged it as being a hatchet job, the Convener, Comrade Kabir Matazu made a volte face, by retracting his statement, and disowned his petition to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and apologized subsequently.

EUYI claimed that preliminary investigation shows that these persons were hired to use the high calling of the legal profession to blackmail Engr. Kyari and taint him with criminality. These protests have resulted in media trial and a whip up of negative public sentiment against him.

They thereby requested an investigation by the NBA into the status and operation of the so called and Guardians of Democracy and rule of law.

“For instance, is it a registered organization? Is it operated by lawyers, or are persons using the organisation to masquerade as lawyers. We urge you to act decisively and urgently too.