The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has firmly debunked claims that $2,000 was shared among some Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, as an “attendance fee” during its recent engagement in Maiduguri, describing the allegation as false, unfounded and unsupported by any credible evidence.
In a strong reaction to the controversy, sources at the NBA National Secretariat said no such payment was made, authorised or received by the Association, warning that the narrative appears designed to impugn the integrity of the Bar’s leadership without proof.
According to the Secretariat, no funds meant for the NBA were distributed to any category of members at the Maiduguri event — whether SANs, branch officers, statutory members of the National Executive Council, NEC, or young lawyers.
“The Association neither received nor authorised the distribution of any such sum,” the sources stated emphatically.
They stressed that there is no documentary trail to support the claim that the Borno State Government paid $2,000 to any group on behalf of the NBA. Specifically, they pointed to the absence of payment vouchers, government disbursement schedules, official beneficiary lists or any identifiable budgetary provision under which such a payment could have been processed.
“There is no payment voucher, no schedule of disbursement from any state authority, and no official list of beneficiaries. There is simply no record anywhere to sustain the allegation,” the sources said.
The Secretariat also dismissed insinuations that NBA funds were diverted or shared during the engagement. A review of the Association’s financial records, it maintained, shows no transaction reflecting the alleged payment.
“No money accruable to the NBA was taken by any member of the Inner Bar or by any officer of the Association. The financial records are clear and transparent,” the sources added.
Clarifying issues surrounding the NEC meeting held in Maiduguri, the Secretariat addressed speculation about the role of the state governor. It noted that although the governor attended the cocktail reception, he did not address the gathering or make any financial presentation.
“He was on leave at the time. There was no speech, no announcement and no declaration of any financial gift to members of the Bar,” the sources said.
The NBA leadership expressed concern that serious allegations involving public funds were being circulated without recourse to verifiable channels. It pointed out that claims of government disbursement can be tested through lawful means, including formal inquiries or applications under the Freedom of Information Act.
“None has been produced. What we have seen are insinuations elevated to ‘facts’ without evidentiary backing,” the sources lamented.
The Secretariat warned against confusing speculation with documented financial transactions, insisting that on the strength of available records, no $2,000 payment was made to or received by the NBA, and no Association funds were distributed to members in Maiduguri.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability, the NBA maintained that the integrity of the Bar cannot be undermined by conjecture or repetition of unverified claims.
“The integrity of the Bar cannot be impeached on the strength of conjecture. Allegations must rest on evidence — not assumption, not repetition, and certainly not political convenience,” the sources declared.
