The Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Garki Branch has suspended its Chairman, Anthony Bamidele Ojo, and disclaimed the viral news conference and award presentation ceremony purportedly organised in honour of convicted pension thief, Abdulrasheed Maina.
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In a press statement dated January 23, 2026, signed by the Branch Vice-Chairman, Lydia Izan, Esq., and the Branch Secretary, Chidi Ifeonye Alechenu, Esq., the Executive Committee stated that the event was never discussed, approved or sanctioned at any of its meetings or at any General Meeting of the Branch.
The Branch stated that a viral video making the rounds on social media and mainstream media purporting to be a news conference and award presentation ceremony organised by the Branch in honour of Maina came as a surprise to its executive officers.
“This video came to the executive officers of the Executive Committee as a surprise and we are appalled as any other legal practitioner who saw the video,” the statement read.
“We make bold and hasten to assert that this purported news conference and award presentation ceremony was never discussed, approved or sanctioned in any of the meetings of the Executive Committee of the Branch or at any of the General Meetings of the Branch. None of the executive officers of the Executive Committee was aware of the said news conference and award presentation ceremony.”
The Branch emphasised that like its parent body, the National, it is committed to the promotion of the rule of law and therefore could not have sanctioned a press conference to discuss questions that are still sub judice.
“The Branch could not have sanctioned a press conference to discuss questions that are still sub judice or to present an award to a person whose innocence is still a subject of pending criminal proceedings and to make prejudicial comments in the process,” the statement noted.
According to the statement, an Emergency Meeting of the Executive Committee held on January 23, 2026, where the Chairman was suspended from office pending investigations into the purported news conference and award presentation.
“The suspension followed a Motion to that effect moved by the Financial Secretary, Mr. Paschal Nnaji, and seconded by the Assistant Secretary, Mr. Muhammed Mba Al-Saqafi,” the Branch disclosed.
Mr. Barnabas Oswald Kwamkur, a distinguished member of the Branch, has been appointed to head the Ad Hoc Investigation Committee. The report of the Committee will be submitted to the Executive Committee, which will present same to the Emergency General Meeting to be convened for this purpose.
In the meantime, the Vice Chairman of the Branch, Ms. Lydia Izan, shall assume the office of the Chairman in acting capacity until the conclusion of the investigation and the outcome of the Emergency General Meeting.
The Branch called on all members of the Nigerian Bar Association, the entirety of the legal community, and the general public to disregard and ignore the purported news conference and award presentation ceremony.
“The events were never sanctioned and approved by the Executive Committee and the General Meeting of the Branch,” the statement concluded.
The disclaimer comes on the heels of a statement by the NBA National President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, who earlier condemned the appointment of Maina as “Grand Patron of NBA Garki Branch,” describing it as making a mockery of the legal profession and the fight against corruption.
NBA GARKI BRANCH DISCLAIMER ON MAINA AWARD AND PRESS CONFERENCE (1)Osigwe had directed the Chairman to immediately withdraw the purported appointment and announced that disciplinary proceedings would be commenced against him.
Abdulrasheed Maina, a former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, was convicted in November 2022 for money laundering involving over N2 billion in pension funds. His appeal against the conviction is believed to be pending at the Supreme Court.
TheNigeriaLawyer has not independently confirmed whether an NBA branch has the power, under the NBA Constitution, to suspend its chairman, or whether the action was taken in line with members’ consent, as at the time of filing this report, no notice of meeting to that effect had been sighted.
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