UPHOLDING JUSTICE FOR LAWYERS IN THE NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE.
I commend and fully support the decisive action taken by the @NigBarAssoc Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), in seeking enforcement of the Nigeria Police Force (Establishment) Act 2020 and the ratified Force Order 137 of 2013 on the conversion and promotion of lawyers serving in the Nigeria Police Force.
For too long, our colleagues in the Police have been unjustly denied their rightful conversion to the specialist cadre, despite clear statutory provisions guaranteeing this entitlement. This neglect is not only unlawful but also discriminatory and demeaning to members of our noble profession, who daily shoulder the responsibility of prosecuting, defending, and advising the Force.
It is particularly concerning that while other professionals within the Police, doctors, engineers, accountants, and others, are accorded accelerated conversion into their respective specialist cadres, lawyers continue to face deliberate exclusion. Such double standards have no place in a system governed by law and equity.
The NBA, through SPIDEL, has taken the right step by challenging this injustice before the National Industrial Court. This action goes beyond the welfare of police lawyers; it is about upholding the sanctity of our laws, preserving the nobility of the legal profession, and ensuring that fairness and justice remain the bedrock of our institutions.
I commend Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN, the leadership of SPIDEL, and the Public Interest Litigation Committee chaired by Mr. Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun, SAN, for their courage and commitment in pursuing this cause. I trust that the court will act swiftly to uphold the law, and that the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force will put an end to this long standing discrimination against legal practitioners.
Finally, I acknowledge the leadership of the Police Force for the intentional creation of the Directorate of Legal Services. This development, coupled with the overdue promotion of legal practitioners, will help in building a Police Force that Nigerians can truly be proud of.
Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, FCIArb (UK), FCIMC, Life Bencher
Yesterday, During the Bodyof Benchers Dinner at the Nigerian Law School, I was reminded of my own early days at the Bar.
I saw myself in the eyes of the students I interacted with, filled with the same mix of anxiety, ambition, and hope that once carried me through those corridors.
Every handshake, every smile, and every question they asked reaffirmed my belief that our profession’s future is bright.
These young minds are not just learning the law, they are preparing to shape it.
My duty, and indeed, my joy is to guide, to listen, and to remind them that the journey is worth it. Because years from now, they will stand where I stand, carrying the weight and pride of our noble profession.
The Bar remains in safe hands. 🌟
#LawSchool #Mentorship #BarJourney #AareAkinboroSAN
STATEMENT BY AARE OLUMUYIWA AKINBORO, SAN ON THE UNLAWFUL CLASSIFICATION OF VICE ADMIRAL DADA OLANIYI LABINJO (RTD.) AS “DESERTER” BY THE NIGERIAN NAVY.
The news of the unlawful classification of Vice Admiral Dada Olaniyi Labinjo (Rtd.) as a “deserter” by the Nigerian Navy is one that shocks the conscience of the nation and strikes at the very heart of our constitutional order. It is a brazen affront to the authority of the Courts of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an assault on the Rule of Law, and an unwarranted persecution of a distinguished officer who has already been vindicated by the judgment of a competent Court of record.
For the avoidance of doubt, the judgment of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria delivered on the 24th of March 2025 in Suit No. NICN/LA/67/2023 leaves no room for ambiguity: Vice Admiral Labinjo (Rtd.) lawfully retired with effect from the 11th of April 2017. The Nigerian Navy is bound by law, by reason, and by decency to respect that judgment. To now brand him a deserter is not only contemptuous of the Court but is also an intolerable abuse of state power.
As emphatically held in *OKO-OSI v. AKINDELE (2013) AELR 1497*, disobedience to an order of Court is “a calculated act of subversion of peace, law, and order in the Nigerian Society.” The Court stressed that obedience to lawful Court orders is fundamentally a sine qua non to the good order, peace, and stability of the Nigerian Nation; the alternative is brute self-help and anarchy. Obedience to every order of Court is therefore a duty which every citizen and institution owes to the nation.
*No institution, no matter how highly placed, is above the law.*
The Nigerian Navy, which is reputed for discipline and obedience to lawful authority, cannot afford to descend into lawlessness by setting its will above judicial pronouncements. To do so is to invite anarchy, erode public confidence in our institutions, and desecrate the sanctity of our constitutional democracy.
I must, at this juncture, commend the vibrant and principled leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos Branch, under the chairmanship of *Uchenna Ogunedo Akingbade, Esq.*, for not only speaking truth to power but also mobilizing in defence of justice and the Rule of Law. The courage, activism, and clarity of conviction demonstrated by the Lagos Branch at this critical moment is the very essence of the Bar as the defender of the oppressed and the guardian of our democracy.
Furthermore, this is not merely about Vice Admiral Labinjo (Rtd.), it is about every Nigerian whose rights can be trampled upon if unlawful acts are allowed to stand unchecked. It is about the supremacy of the law. It is about the soul of our democracy.
Accordingly, I join my voice with the NBA Lagos Branch in demanding:
1. The immediate withdrawal of the offensive Navy signal of 3rd September 2025;
2. Full compliance with the judgment of the National Industrial Court; and
3. An unreserved apology to the gentleman and officer for the embarrassment occasioned by the signal.
The Rule of Law is not negotiable. It is the foundation of our existence as a nation. The Nigerian Navy and every organ of government must be so guided.
Signed,
AARE OLUMUYIWA AKINBORO, SAN
FCIArb (UK), FCIMC, LIFE BENCHER
@UNIONBANK_NG I keep going to the bank and for 2 months we are still on upgrading the account, I was at one of your branch on Wednesday again and yet the account is not yet updated and I still don't have an answer in what I need to do to upgrade the account.
Jensen points out the more direct reports the CEO has, the fewer layers in the company.
And when you have 60 people in the room who know what moves the needle for the company, it unleashes faster speed.
To agree with God is to say the same things God says in His word about salvation ,healing, answer to prayer and am overcoming life
By agreeing with God that I have what he says I have: his name, His nature, His power, His authority, His love.
Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, our goal should be to discover our uniqueness ; and then discipline ourselves to develop it.
#growth#seasonofKings