The Nigerian Bar Association has set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the allegations of sexual assault against the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril Ndifon.
The NBA also filed petitions against the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, and a young lawyer in Aba, Ifunanya Grant.
While Yunusa-Ari was petitioned over his role in illegally declaring the result of the supplementary 2023 governorship election in Adamawa State as votes were still being counted, the complaints against Miss Grant centred on her social media notoriety of posting pictures and videos of herself unclad and smoking marijuana.
A statement issued on Saturday by the National Publicity Secretary of the NBA, Akorede Lawal, indicated that the decision was reached by the National Executive Committee of the NBA during its recent monthly meeting presided over by its President, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) and attended by all national officers of the NBA.
The statement read, “The NBA NEC subsequently empanelled an ad-hoc committee to investigate the allegations against the university don. In a similar vein, the national officers also deliberated at their earlier monthly meeting over the unbecoming conduct of some members of the legal profession.
“Following the resolutions of the national officers, the NBA has filed petitions at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee against Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission and Ifunanya Excel Grant, a young lawyer of Aba Branch wildly known as ‘the baddest lawyer’ on social media.
“Yunusa-Ari was petitioned over his role in illegally declaring the result of the supplementary 2023 governorship election in Adamawa State while votes were still being counted, while the complaints against Miss Ifunanya centred on her social media notoriety of posting pictures and videos of herself unclad and smoking marijuana.”
The statement added that none of the lawyers petitioned or being investigated was deemed guilty of professional misconduct until the LPDC hands down its decisions after a fair trial.
“The NBA President has emphasised the need for lawyers to continue to be of best conduct wherever they find themselves, and he reiterated that the present NBA leadership will not relent in ridding the profession of the very few bad eggs that may be found,” it added.
