TheCable

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has disowned demonstrators who protested against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The protesters had faulted the EFCC’s prosecution of Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi state.

On Monday, no fewer than 500 legal practitioners from across the country, took to the supreme court complex to register their displeasure.

The lawyers, under the umbrella of judicial watchdogs, faulted the siege on the former governor’s residence in a bid to arrest him, “in spite of a valid court order to the contrary, which had not been vacated”.

In a terse notice to journalists on Tuesday, the NBA, through Habeeb Lawal, its national publicity secretary, said the protesters were not lawyers.

“The above report refers,” the statement reads.

“The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is aware that some news outlets have reported this news.

“Please be informed that while the NBA respects the rights of citizens to assemble and protest, we insist that this particular group of persons are not lawyers.

“For completeness, their supposed leader or convener Sylvanus K. Alewu is not a name known to us.”

On April 18, the EFCC declared Bello wanted over an alleged N80 billion financial crime.

Bello is yet to appear in court for scheduled arraignments since he was declared wanted.