The second day of the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual Conference in Enugu was on Monday disrupted by protests demanding the release of Hon. Bright Ngene, a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly and practising lawyer.

Ngene, who represents Enugu South Urban Constituency under the Labour Party, is serving a seven-year prison sentence following his conviction by a magistrate court over a community dispute. His supporters, however, insist the conviction was politically motivated.

Protesters carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Release Bar. Bright Ngene Now, a Political Prisoner of Conscience” and “NBA Please Save Our Democracy” accused the state judiciary of frustrating efforts to appeal the conviction. They alleged that at least two judges had recused themselves while the case remains unassigned at the state High Court.

Addressing journalists, protest leader Mr. Benedict Kachukwu described Ngene’s incarceration since July 2024 as unjust, claiming that due process was not observed during his trial. He urged the NBA and senior lawyers present at the conference to intervene.

Security operatives barred the demonstrators from gaining entry into the main hall of the International Conference Centre, the venue of the conference, but they staged a peaceful protest around the premises before dispersing.

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