NBA Directs Branches To Set Up Anti-graft Committees

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has directed all its 130 branches nationwide to establish an anti-corruption committee to tackle corruption-related issues.

The Chairman of the NBA National Anti-Corruption Committee, Prof. Babafemi Badejo, who made this known to journalists in Lagos, stated that the association issued the directive during its recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State.

Badejo also disclosed that the NBA passed the motion to establish the Committee in all branches to address corruption-related issues within their jurisdictions.

In the statement made available, he further said, “The anti-corruption committee shall work closely with local stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and community organisations, to reduce corruption at their respective levels.

“Promoting the rule of law is the guiding principle of the NBA; however, pervasive corruption infringes on the rule of law. Detailed analysis shows an inverse relationship between corruption and the realisation of the rule of law.

“The more corruption in a society, the less the operation of the rule of law in such a society, and vice versa.

“The fact and the perception of corruption undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s justice system and the nation’s democratic aspirations,” he said.

The law professor also stated that the bar president, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), established the NBA National Anti-Corruption Committee in February 2025.

Badejo also stressed that Osigwe had tasked the Committee to undertake “a pivotal role in advocating for ethical legal practice and fighting corruption in all its forms.

He said, “With the freedom of each branch and national coordination mechanism in articulating what can be done to curb corruption, the NBA would be delivering a clear message that corruption is not a usual way of life.

“The NBA is boldly engaging in its expected role as the bastion of accountability and the rule of law.

“A proactive NBA on anti-corruption is not just a professional necessity but a national imperative,” he stated.