A senior lawyer and former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Birnin-Kebbi Branch, Mr. Hussaini Zakariyau SAN has sent a ‘Save-Our-Soul’ message to lawyers over alleged plans by a politician to kidnap and kill him.

Zakariyau was the youngest of the 72 lawyers to be conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) in the 2020 preferment exercise. It was the first time he would be applying for the rank.

In a statement obtained by CITY LAWYER and signed by the Publicity Secretary of the branch, Mr. Muhammad Usman, the branch condemned the threat to the life of the senior lawyer, urging security agencies and the state government to wade into the matter.

Usman noted that the branch leadership “received with great shock, a written complaint on the 10th March, 2023 from its former Chairman, Hussaini Zakariyau SAN lamenting on the dastardly incidence of life threatening phone calls he had received from some anonymous persons/bandits wherein they unequivocally threatened that they are coming for the learned silk soon, as they are given an assignment by a politician to KILL him.”

The statement observed that the “malignant and calculated attacks on legal practitioners, magistrates and judges in the Branch have taken a new dimension,” adding that this “necessitated calls for decisive intervention by all the security agencies to use every apparatus at their disposal to fish out the culprits, and be more proactive in protecting the sanctity of lives and properties of the citizenry.”

When CITY LAWYER telephoned the Chairman of the branch, Mr. Lawal Garba for an update on the matter, his phone rang without response. It was unclear at press time whether the Yakubu Maikyau SAN-led NBA leadership has been alerted on the matter.

Below is the full text of the statement.

NBA BIRNIN KEBBI BRANCH CONDEMNS THE THREAT MADE BY UNKNOWN PERSONS TO KIDNAP/KILL ITS FORMER CHAIRMAN, HUSSAINI ZAKARIYAU, SAN: A CALL ON NIGERIA POLICE FORCE, DEPARTMENT OF SECURITY SERVICES, KEBBI STATE GOVERNMENT AND ALL OTHER SECURITY AGENCIES TO BE MORE VIGILANT ABOUT SECURITY OF LIVES AND PROPERTIES OF LAWYERS IN THE STATE.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Birnin Kebbi Branch received with great shock, a written complaint on the 10th March, 2023 from its former Chairman, Hussaini Zakariyau SAN lamenting on the dastardly incidence of life threatening phone calls he had received from some anonymous persons/bandits wherein they unequivocally threatened that they are coming for the learned silk soon, as they are given an assignment by a politician to KILL him.

The Branch strongly condemn this deploring event, and noted same as disheartening. This is one too many, amongst other latest searing occurrences that in recent times befell members of the Branch. Indeed, malignant and calculated attacks on legal practitioners, magistrates and judges in the Branch have taken a new dimension, which necessitated calls for decisive intervention by all the security agencies to use every apparatus at their disposal to fish out the culprits, and be more proactive in protecting the sanctity of lives and properties of the citizenry.

The NBA Birnin Kebbi Branch therefore, firmly reiterates its unwavering commitment in getting to the roots of the alleged threats with a view to fish out the anonymous perpetrators, and shall ensure that the said perpetrators are brought to book.

In conclusion, the Branch will not relent in taking every legal step to call the attention of the State Government and all security agencies to be alive to their constitutional role of protecting lives and properties of the citizens, legal practitioners in particular. The bitter truth is that these unwarranted and provocative threats/attacks on innocent citizens including members of the legal profession must be treated with all seriousness, and must be brought to a decisive end.

Thank you.

Muhammad Usman, Esq
Publicity Secretary
(13/03/2023)

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