A legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to return the controversial ₦300 million it received from the Rivers State Government.
In a strongly worded statement released on Tuesday, Adegboruwa insisted the NBA has no moral or professional justification to keep the funds and urged the association to immediately deposit the money into an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), pending a resolution of the political crisis in Rivers State.
Adegboruwa’s statement comes in the wake of public outcry following revelations that the NBA had accepted a “gift” of ₦300 million from the Rivers State Government, ostensibly in support of its Annual General Conference.
The gesture has since sparked debates within legal and civic circles, particularly given the current political instability in Rivers, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara was controversially replaced with retired naval chief Ibok-ete Ibas by President Bola Tinubu on March 18, 2025.
“I read with utter shock and disbelief the story of ₦300 million given to the Nigerian Bar Association by the Rivers State Government,” Adegboruwa said. “There is no basis for the NBA to go cap in hand to beg for money to host a conference of lawyers when members pay their practicing fees annually, and registration fees are charged for participation.”
Known for his advocacy on good governance and human rights, Adegboruwa emphasized the unique role of lawyers as defenders of justice and the rule of law, urging the NBA to avoid any entanglement with political authorities that could compromise its independence and credibility. “Lawyers are the conscience of society. Such an organization should not be seen to be romancing with any government, especially when the masses are groaning under the weight of economic hardship and institutional abuse,” he said.
Quoting the old adage, “He who pays the piper dictates the tune,” Adegboruwa warned that accepting such funds undermines the moral high ground from which the legal profession should speak. “NBA is not a bank. We cannot hide under semantics or bureaucracy to retain that money,” he added.
In the event that the funds have already been spent, Adegboruwa proposed a solution: “Let all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and senior lawyers contribute ₦1 million each to raise the amount. This is not beyond us.”
He called on the elders of the Bar to step in urgently and address what he described as “a collective shame,” stressing that the long-term credibility of the association was at stake.
“This is a defining moment for the Nigerian Bar Association,” Adegboruwa said. “Going forward, the NBA must exercise caution in sourcing funds from all manner of persons or institutions. Lawyers in Nigeria are well-endowed and capable of funding any programme for the Bar.”
© Ripples Nigeria
