NBA Exonerates Saraki’s Lawyers On ‘Walkout’

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has exonerated lawyers to Senate President Bukola Saraki over reports that they allegedly walked out on the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting at Abuja.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP had earlier called on the association to urgently investigate the conduct of lawyers describing the move by the lawyers as “disrespectful”.
Speaking on Monday at Udu, Delta State during the inauguration of the Udu branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, president of the association, Mr. Augustine Alegeh, SAN, while giving details on the disciplinary measures put in place by the association against erring members, stated that “the lawyers did nothing wrong in their action.”
He said: “I was at the airport on that Thursday and within an hour we caused letters to be issued to the lawyers involved.

They replied us the next day stating clearly that they applied to the court for a withdraw appearance for their client.
“The application was granted and they respectfully took leave of court and that words such as judicial rascality were never used and any reference to words of that nature was when they were reading to the court, the judgement of the Supreme Court in a case which they had cited.
“We have come out boldly to say that the lawyers have done nothing wrong if they had applied to the court to be allowed and they were discharged from further appearance, they were entitled to leave the court room, additionally, we confirmed that counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, and a team of about 10 junior lawyers remained in court and the court did not have to bow to an empty bar.”

 

Credit : Vanguard