The members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Kano State branch, have disowned a press statement issued by its chairman Sagir Suleman Gezawa, endorsing the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi as emir of Kano, as well as criticizing security agencies for upholding the rule of law.
The lawyers disclosed this in a statement signed by 28 of them and released to journalists on Monday. They warned Mr Gezawa to desist from dragging the professional body into politics.
The statement was titled, “Rejoinder to NBA Kano Branch Chairman (Sagir Suleiman Gezawa, esq) on the proper mode of enforcement of order of the court and a clarion call not to engage the NBA in partisan politics.”
The NBA members said, “We finally state that the statement issued by the chairman is his personal opinion and not the opinion of members of the NBA and he should please desist from any act of dragging the NBA into the mud of politics. The chairman should be called to order.”
They said they were appalled by Mr Gezawa’s emphasis that the controversial statement “was issued as a body.” The lawyers said, “We believe such a statement is the personal opinion of the chairman because we were never consulted and it is never our opinion and never the opinion of members of the Kano Branch. The chairman is to express the view of the branch and not his personal opinion.”
“The statement issued by the chairman has more of a political undertone than Law that the NBA as a pressure group should not engage in,” the lawyers added.
Mr Gezawa, in his statement, accused the military of “enforcing a court order,” adding that “the Army should be mindful of the fact that their actions may breach the security and peace of Kano State and they shall be held accountable in this life or the next.” The Army Headquarters has strongly denied this allegation.
On this, the lawyers countered the NBA chairman, saying that, “We, however, see nothing wrong in the actions of the Army. They are here to maintain Law and Order and peaceful coexistence. It is the chairman that should rather be mindful of his actions of encouraging the Kano State Government to disobey Court Order which may cause a breach of peace and security and he shall be held accountable in this life or the next.”
The Kano NBA members who signed the statement are Abdurrazaq A. Ahmad, Esq, Asma’u Sulaiman Esq, Tahir Muhammad Bello, Esq, Bashiru Ibrahim, Esq, Jazuli Mustapha Esq, Garba Abubakar Esq, A.S. Bawa Esq, Shehu Muhammad Yakubu Esq, Usman Sani Salihu Esq, Hadiza Nasir Esq, Hajara Yusuf Esq, H. A. Dandago Esq, Sani Abbas Esq, Sagir Sani Yakubu Esq, Muhammad S. Muhammad Esq, A. A. Muhammad Esq, Khalid Sani Marshall Esq, Danjuma Siaka Esq, Abdulgafar Murtala Esq, Sani Bala Wada’u Esq, Tajudeen Alhassan Esq, Fatima Auwal Lawal Esq, Abubakar Sunusi Alkali Esq, E.O Kennedy Esq, Sani Lawan Esq, Ibrahim G. Labaran Esq, Yusuf Issa Oluwanishola Esq, and Abubakar Shuaibu Esq.
