The leadership crisis rocking the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, has taken another turn as a group of lawyers initiated a fresh requisition for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, 2026, following allegations that the Branch Chairman, Mazi Udegbulem, prevented members from discussing critical issues at the October 31 General Meeting.
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The fresh move comes amid allegations by a former Secretary of the Branch, Chinedu Agu, that individuals who were not qualified legal practitioners were mobilised to disrupt the October meeting, intimidate dissenting members and frustrate demands for accountability over the management of a ₦100 million donation received from the Imo State Government.
In a separate statement dated November 1, 2026, Agu specifically accused Udegbulem of allegedly working with an individual popularly known as Sparrow D, described as a student of Imo State University, to coordinate persons who purportedly infiltrated the Bar Centre and disrupted proceedings.
The allegations against Udegbulem and the individual identified as Sparrow D have not been independently established, and the statements made available do not contain evidence of a formal finding against either person concerning the alleged disruption.
The renewed controversy follows weeks of disagreement among members of the Branch over its administration, the management of the ₦100 million government donation and the legality of steps taken by some members to investigate the expenditure.
In a message circulated to lawyers under the heading, “Requisition for an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting of NBA Owerri on Tuesday 10 November 2026,” Chuks Agbugba, Esq., urged Senior Advocates of Nigeria, professors, senior lawyers and other members of the Branch to support the demand for another meeting.
Agbugba maintained that recent developments and revelations had exposed serious challenges within the association that required urgent attention.
“Learned Silks, professors, seniors and colleagues.
“Recent happening and recent revelations have revealed that we have serious challenges in our NBA,” the statement read.
He questioned the proceedings of the October 31 gathering, arguing that it could not properly be regarded as a meeting of the association because members were allegedly denied the opportunity to address important issues affecting the Branch.
“What we had on Saturday 31 October 2026 was not an NBA Meeting as the chairman has refused to allow members address serious issues causing crisis in this Branch, and if we allow this to go on unaddressed, this will lead to further disintegration of this association,” Agbugba stated.
He consequently urged interested members to complete an electronic requisition form to support the convening of an Extraordinary General Meeting on November 10.
According to the notice, participating lawyers are required to provide their names, Supreme Court enrolment numbers (SCN) and initials as electronic signatures.
Agbugba explained that the exercise could be completed within approximately 60 seconds by opening the form, entering the required information and clicking the submission button.
The requisition form, titled “EXTRA ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF NBA, OWERRI,” contains a declaration by the signatory requesting an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Branch.
The form requests three mandatory details: the member’s name, SCN and signature represented by initials.
The electronic requisition form is available at:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSefvm1hdbak0_yRziUxcrJix4payrQR7L6V256G0LU9waNpbA/viewform
The organisers fixed 12 noon on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as the deadline for submitting the electronic requisitions.
However, the circulation of the form and the proposed date do not, by themselves, establish that an Extraordinary General Meeting has been formally convened in accordance with the NBA Constitution and the applicable Uniform Bye-Laws for Branches.
The fresh requisition comes against the background of an earlier attempt by members to address the Branch’s leadership crisis through an Extraordinary General Meeting.
In October, 183 members had supported a requisition calling for a meeting to discuss concerns surrounding the receipt, management and disbursement of ₦100 million donated to the Branch by the Imo State Government.
The dispute subsequently attracted the intervention of the NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, who constituted a three-member committee to investigate the allegations and make recommendations.
The committee comprises the NBA General Secretary, Afam Okeke; Third Vice-President, Iniobong Irene Pepple; and National Treasurer, Esther Jimoh.
The panel was mandated to examine relevant financial records, receive submissions from interested parties and submit its findings and recommendations by October 30, 2026.
The NBA President emphasised that the constitution of the investigative committee did not amount to a finding of wrongdoing against the Branch Chairman or any other individual.
She also directed that persons whose conduct was under examination should be afforded a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations.
Meanwhile, the October 15 Extraordinary General Meeting also resulted in the constitution of a five-member committee chaired by Chidi Nworka to investigate the disputed expenditure.
The legality of that meeting and the committee subsequently became subjects of litigation, with Udegbulem challenging the authority of the members who convened the gathering and the validity of resolutions reached.
The Chairman has maintained that the NBA Constitution and Uniform Bye-Laws must be followed in convening branch meetings and constituting investigative bodies.
Against that background, the October 31 General Meeting was expected by some concerned members to provide an opportunity for further deliberation on the controversy.
However, Agu alleged that the proceedings were disrupted by persons brought into the venue to frustrate discussions.
In his statement issued on November 1 at 10:15 p.m., titled “Sparrow D: The Notorious Student Thug Allegedly Used By Prof. Mazi Udegbulem To Mobilise Thugs And Disrupt NBA Owerri Meeting Yesterday,” Agu made specific allegations concerning the identity of one of the persons he claimed participated in the disruption.
According to him, the individual popularly known as Sparrow D was associated with Imo State University and allegedly played a coordinating role during the October 31 meeting.
Agu claimed that the individual mobilised persons he described as students who impersonated lawyers and gained access to the meeting venue.
He alleged that the purpose was to disrupt proceedings, intimidate members seeking to raise questions and prevent the Branch from deliberating on issues relating to its leadership and finances.
Agu further claimed that video recordings from the meeting appeared to show Sparrow D participating prominently in the proceedings as disagreements escalated.
However, the video clips referred to in his statement were not independently authenticated in the material reviewed, and the identity, professional status and alleged conduct of the persons concerned remain matters requiring verification.
The former Branch Secretary also linked the allegations to what he described as past controversies at Imo State University during Udegbulem’s tenure as Sub-Dean of Student Affairs.
Agu alleged that Sparrow D had previously been associated with disputes involving the institution’s Student Union Government and efforts to frustrate demands for accountability.
He further made allegations concerning the management of Student Union Government funds and a fire at an office within the university’s Student Affairs administration, claiming that the incident occurred during a period when security authorities were examining complaints concerning the funds.
According to Agu, the individual was allegedly involved in activities intended to obstruct investigations and suppress demands for transparency.
He also claimed that the controversies eventually contributed to Udegbulem’s removal as Sub-Dean.
These are serious allegations concerning alleged misconduct, possible criminal acts and administrative decisions. No university disciplinary record, security investigation report, police finding or other independent documentary evidence establishing the claims was provided with the statement.
Consequently, the allegations cannot be treated as established facts or as proof that either Udegbulem or the individual identified as Sparrow D participated in any criminal or improper conduct.
Agu maintained that his principal concern was the alleged use of outsiders to interfere with the October 31 gathering.
He described the reported events as disturbing, particularly because the NBA is a professional association whose members are expected to uphold the rule of law, due process and institutional accountability.
The former Branch Secretary also alleged that some of those who entered the meeting venue were law graduates who had not attended the Nigerian Law School and therefore were not qualified to participate as legal practitioners.
He claimed that certain lawyers assisted the individuals in entering and leaving the venue and provided direction to them during the proceedings.
Agu said he would not immediately disclose the identities of those persons but warned that he might make further disclosures if circumstances required.
He also publicly challenged the Branch Chairman to respond to the allegations.
“I hereby publicly challenge Prof. Mazi Udegbulem to disprove the allegations raised in this publication. There are further revelations that may become necessary to bring to public attention,” Agu stated.
He criticised individuals whom he accused of abandoning the demand for accountability and expressed support for those continuing to press for an examination of the Branch’s affairs.
“To those who have refused to compromise, who remain steadfast in the pursuit of transparency, justice, and accountability, I say: NO RETREAT! NO SURRENDER!
“We must get it right!” he declared.
The fresh accusations follow an earlier statement by Agu in which he alleged that the October 31 meeting had been characterised by shouting, interruptions and attempts to prevent members critical of the Chairman from speaking.
He alleged that some senior members left the meeting before its conclusion, while issues relating to the Branch’s finances and the work of the investigative committee remained unresolved.
Agu also questioned the circumstances surrounding certain documents used in court proceedings instituted by the Branch Chairman, including the dates appearing on documents presented in connection with the ongoing leadership dispute.
Those allegations remain contested and are separate from any determination concerning the legality of the October 31 meeting.
Udegbulem has previously denied allegations that he misappropriated the ₦100 million donated to the Branch.
In an October 5 response to a petition submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Chairman maintained that the entire amount was received into the Branch’s official bank account and used for approved Branch purposes.
He explained that expenditure from the money included activities connected with the NBA Annual General Conference, projects and other operational needs approved by the Branch Executive Committee.
The Chairman also expressed willingness to submit the accounts to a comprehensive forensic examination and called for an investigation covering the Branch’s financial activities from its inception.
However, that earlier denial concerned the financial allegations and does not constitute a response to the fresh accusations that students or other outsiders were mobilised to disrupt the October 31 meeting.
No response by Udegbulem to the specific Sparrow D allegations was established from the material available at the time of this report.
The disagreements have also resulted in court proceedings concerning the powers of members to requisition Extraordinary General Meetings and the legality of the investigative committee constituted at the October 15 gathering.
In one action before the Federal High Court, Owerri Judicial Division, marked FHC/OW/CS/120/2026, the Chairman is challenging the procedure adopted in convening the October 15 meeting and the resolutions made during it.
The suit raises questions concerning the interpretation of Article 11(4) and (5) of the Uniform Bye-Laws for Branches and the authority to determine the date, time and venue of an Extraordinary General Meeting.
A separate action before the High Court of Imo State also concerns steps taken in connection with the Branch’s investigative process.
The pending proceedings underscore that aspects of the dispute remain before the courts and have not been finally determined.
The latest requisition for November 10 introduces another attempt by concerned members to address the continuing disagreement through the Branch’s internal meeting procedures.
Its organisers maintain that members should be given an opportunity to discuss the alleged disruptions, the leadership crisis and outstanding accountability questions.
However, whether the proposed gathering will proceed as a duly convened Extraordinary General Meeting will depend on compliance with the applicable constitutional and branch rules, as well as any relevant court orders.
The controversy has placed renewed attention on the NBA national leadership’s intervention and the outcome of its investigation into the ₦100 million donation.
The allegations concerning the October 31 meeting also raise questions about meeting security, verification of membership, the conduct of deliberations and the ability of lawyers to express divergent views without intimidation.
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