NBA Denies Alleged $2,000 Payments to SANs in Maiduguri

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has refuted claims that $2,000 was given to some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) as an “attendance fee” during its recent engagement in Maiduguri, insisting that no such payment was made or authorised.

The NBA National Secretariat described the allegation as baseless and lacking evidence, warning that it unfairly questions the integrity of the association’s leadership. “The Association neither received nor authorised the distribution of any such sum,” the statement said.

The Secretariat further noted that there is no documentation to support claims that the Borno State Government made such payments on behalf of the NBA. “There is no payment voucher, no government disbursement schedule, no official list of beneficiaries, and no budgetary provision under which such a payment could have been processed,” it added.

NBA President Afam Osigwe (SAN) also confirmed that no association funds were misapplied or diverted in Maiduguri. A review of the NBA’s accounts revealed no record of any transaction corresponding to the alleged payment.

Addressing speculation around the NBA National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Maiduguri, Osigwe noted that while the state governor attended a cocktail reception during the event, he neither addressed the gathering nor made any financial presentation.

The NBA emphasised that any claims regarding public fund disbursement could be verified through proper legal channels, including formal inquiries or Freedom of Information Act requests. To date, no such evidence has been presented.