There has been a persistent narrative suggesting that during the NBA engagement in Maiduguri, a sum of USD 2,000 was shared among certain Senior Advocates of Nigeria as an “attendance fee,” and that this allegedly calls into question the integrity of the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association.

According to a source at NBA HOUSE, “That narrative is false.”

His words: “No such payment was made to the Nigerian Bar Association. No funds intended for the NBA were distributed to any category of members, whether Senior Advocates, branch officers, statutory NEC members, or young lawyers. The Association neither received nor authorized the distribution of any such sum.

“Contrary to the allegations, there is no documentary evidence showing that the Borno State Government paid USD 2,000 to any group on behalf of the NBA. There is no payment voucher, no government schedule of disbursement, no official list of beneficiaries issued by any state authority, and no identifiable budgetary head under which such a payment was processed. No funds belonging to the NBA were diverted, misapplied, or distributed in Maiduguri.”

Continuing, he said: “No money accruable to the Nigerian Bar Association was taken by any member of the Inner Bar or by any officer of the Association. The NBA’s accounts reflect no such transaction. There is nothing in the financial records of the Association indicating that NBA funds were shared or allocated in the manner alleged.

“It is also instructive to note that at the last NEC meeting in Maiduguri, although the Governor attended the cocktail reception, he neither addressed the gathering nor made any representation. He was on leave at the time. There was no announcement, presentation, or declaration of any financial gift to members of the Bar.”

He argued that serious allegations “require serious proof,” adding that “Where a claim is made that public funds were disbursed, the law provides mechanisms, including formal inquiries or requests under the Freedom of Information Act, to obtain documentary verification. None has been produced. What has circulated instead are insinuations elevated to the level of “fact” without evidentiary backing.

“The attempt to portray the Maiduguri engagement as involving the sharing of NBA funds is therefore not supported by any verifiable record. It is essential to distinguish between speculation and documented financial transactions. On the records available, no USD 2,000 payment was made to or received by the Nigerian Bar Association, and no NBA funds were distributed to any members in Maiduguri.

“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.”

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