Tobenna Erojikwe, the Chairman of the NBA-ICLE and candidate for the presidency of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has commended NBA President Y.C. Maikyau, SAN, OON, for his successful efforts in securing the release of lawyer Pius Awoke, Esq, from the custody of the State Security Services (SSS), also known as the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a statement personally issued and signed by him, Erojikwe said, “I have just received word that our Learned Colleague- Pius Awoke, Esq., has been released by the Department of Security Services (DSS) following the intervention of the Y.C. Maikyau SAN-led Nigerian Bar Association.” He added that Awoke was released alongside “Onyiba Emmanuel Chinonso,” a computer science student at Ebonyi State University who was arrested and detained with Mr. Awoke.”
Erojikwe praised Maikyau, stating, “I wish to commend President Y.C. Maikyau SAN, OON, for the great lengths he went towards securing their release and for rising up to the commitment he made to members of the Association and Nigerians at large towards this outcome.”
The successful intervention, according to Erojikwe, “underscores the very pivotal role of the NBA at the intersection between Government and citizen relations.” He emphasised that “a virile NBA is a must-have in our continued quest to hold Government to account and to negotiate the civil liberties of the Nigerian people.”
Erojikwe, who is campaigning for the NBA presidency, used this opportunity to outline his vision for the association. He declared, “The Bar Association I intend to lead, is one where #NoLawyer, and indeed, #NoCitizen of our Country will be left behind in the protection of their inalienable human rights and enforcement of the breach of same.”
He views this commitment not just as a moral imperative but as fundamental to the NBA’s purpose, stating, “Doing this will not just be a moral obligation but also a response to the NBA’s motto of Promoting the Rule of Law—the raison d’être of its mandate.”
This incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by legal professionals and citizens in Nigeria, as well as the critical role played by the NBA in safeguarding civil liberties and upholding the rule of law.
