The Past National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Rapulu Nduka, has strongly condemned the Nigerian Navy for declaring Vice Admiral Dada Olaniyi Labinjo (Rtd) a deserter, in defiance of a subsisting judgment of the National Industrial Court. In Suit No: NICN/LA/67/2023, the court had ruled on the matter, but the Navy’s refusal to comply has sparked concerns over disregard for judicial authority.
Dr. Nduka described the Navy’s action as a dangerous affront to the rule of law and a development capable of eroding public trust in national institutions. Aligning with the position of the NBA Lagos Branch, he urged the Navy to obey the court judgment, stressing that no institution—military or otherwise—is above the law in a democracy.
Read full statement below;
I condemn the Nigerian Navy’s unlawful declaration of Vice Admiral Dada Olaniyi Labinjo (Rtd) as a deserter, in blatant defiance of the judgment of the National Industrial Court in Suit No: NICN/LA/67/2023. Such disregard for judicial authority undermines the rule of law and weakens public trust in our institutions.
No institution—military or otherwise—stands above the law. I stand with the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association in demanding that the Navy obey the judgment and respect the rule of law, without which no democracy can endure.
Dr. Rapulu Nduka
Past National Publicity Secretary Nigerian Bar Association
#unwRAPaNewSecretariat #TheEngine
