SPIDEL Chairman Aikpokpo-Martins Slams NBA President Maikyau For Attempted Blackmail, Accuses Him Of Misrepresentation

*Vows Not To Cower In Face Of Impunity And Abuse Of Power.

In a strongly-worded letter dated March 15, 2024, John Aikpokpo-Martins, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), has accused the NBA President, Y.C. Maikyau, SAN, of attempting to blackmail him amidst their ongoing face-off. Aikpokpo-Martins vehemently denied the allegations leveled against him by Maikyau and vowed not to fall for the president’s antics.

The dispute between the two officials stems from a letter dated November 24, 2023, which Aikpokpo-Martins claims was written on behalf of the Representatives of the Governing Council Board of the NBA, and not in his personal capacity. Maikyau had earlier threatened to initiate disciplinary action against the SPIDEL Chairman before the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for allegedly obtaining money under false pretenses.

In his response, Aikpokpo-Martins questioned how Maikyau came into possession of an internal memo of the General Council of the Bar (GCB), a statutory body of which the NBA President is not a member. He further noted that the NBA Representatives to the GCB had already addressed the misrepresentations contained in Maikyau’s address to members of the NBA National Executive Committee (NEC) in a letter dated March 9, 2024.

Aikpokpo-Martins contended that Maikyau’s allegation of demanding reimbursement for expenses incurred during a GCB meeting on November 29, 2023, was not only false but also factually impossible, as the letter in question was dated November 24, 2023, and received by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation on November 27, 2023, two days before the meeting took place. He also clarified that he did not attend the said meeting.

The SPIDEL Chairman further stated that Maikyau had informed the NBA Representatives to the GCB on January 9, 2023, that the NBA would not be responsible for funding their travel and accommodation expenses for GCB meetings. He expressed disappointment that the NBA President would deny such an important policy statement made in the presence of several witnesses.

Aikpokpo-Martins also pointed out that the N100,000 reimbursement made by the GCB was paid to all NBA Representatives who attended the Council meeting on May 15, 2023, and not just to him, as Maikyau had implied. He stressed that the reimbursement was an official act of the GCB and not subject to inquiry by non-members, except for the Auditor-General of the Federation.

In his concluding remarks, Aikpokpo-Martins rejected all allegations of obtaining money by false pretenses, unethical conduct, and gross misconduct, stating that they were concocted and contrived by Maikyau to defame him simply because he refused to cower in the face of impunity and abuse of power. He advised the NBA President to tread carefully to protect the integrity of his office and the association as a whole.

The face-off between the two prominent figures in the Nigerian legal community has raised concerns among members of the bar, with many calling for a resolution of the dispute in the interest of the profession and the public. As the situation continues to unfold, the legal community and the public at large await further developments in this high-profile confrontation.