By Jabir Ridwan
A civil society group in Kebbi State, Grassroot Advocacy for Peace and Good Governance, has criticized the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over its directive to boycott legal activities in nine local government areas of the state, calling the move unjust and misdirected.
Speaking during a press briefing in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, the group’s chairman, Usman Anache, said the kidnapping incident involving a lawyer did not occur in Kebbi but in Niger State — refuting claims that it happened along the Ibeto–Birnin Kebbi Road.
“It’s both misleading and unfair to penalize Kebbi State for a crime committed outside its borders,” Anache stated.
He condemned the NBA’s directive instructing lawyers to cease handling cases related to terrorism, kidnapping, and armed robbery in Kebbi courts. According to him, the decision stalls access to justice and unfairly targets innocent citizens.
“Denying legal services over an unrelated incident delays justice and undermines the rule of law,” he said.
Anache also challenged the NBA’s claim that nine LGAs in Kebbi were inaccessible due to insecurity. Citing police sources, he debunked the assertion and clarified that Kanya one of the listed areas is a community, not a separate local government.
He commended Governor Nasir Idris for reforms in the state’s justice sector, including appointing a private legal practitioner as a High Court Judge a first in Kebbi’s history.
While calling for the safe return of abducted Barrister Danjumma, Anache urged the NBA to rescind its decision, apologize publicly, and avoid measures that harm law-abiding residents.