Former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN), has faulted the recent directive requiring newly cleared Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to undergo screening by the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a statement issued on Monday, August 18, 2025, Akinboro described the move as an intrusion that undermines both the independence of the legal profession and the sanctity of due process.
“I have followed with keen attention the recent development requiring newly cleared Senior Advocates of Nigeria to undergo screening by the Department of States Services (DSS),” the statement started.
“The conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria is not a political appointment, nor is it an executive privilege. It is a professional recognition rooted in the provisions of the Legal Practitioners Act and administered solely by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC). To subject this process to external security vetting, after rigorous scrutiny has already been undertaken by the LPPC, is an intrusion,” he said.
He warned that allowing external institutions to interfere in the Nigerian Bar’s internal processes could set a dangerous precedent.
“The strength of the Bar has always been its autonomy. If we allow institutions outside the profession to insert themselves into its core processes without legal basis, we open the door to a precedent that may one day compromise not only the rank of SAN but also the independence of our courts, our appointments, and ultimately, our ability to dispense justice without fear or favour,” Akinboro cautioned.
The senior lawyer urged the NBA, the LPPC, and the Body of Benchers to resist what he described as attempts to “muscle the Bar,” stressing that the issue goes beyond individuals to the very framework that sustains the rule of law.
“The Nigerian Bar Association, the LPPC, and the Body of Benchers must rise to this moment and defend the legal profession’s independence. This is not about individuals; it is about protecting the very framework that gives legitimacy to the rule of law in our country,” he added.
Akinboro concluded by warning that silence in the face of such interference would amount to acquiescence.
“The legal profession must resist every attempt to muscle the Bar. To remain silent is to acquiesce, and acquiescence today may cost us the profession we hold dear tomorrow,” Akinboro stated.
