25th August 2025
By Peter Omopo
The second day of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual conference in Enugu was on Monday disrupted by protests calling for the release of Labour Party lawmaker, Bright Ngene, who is serving a seven-year jail term.
Ngene, representing Enugu South Urban Constituency in the State House of Assembly, was convicted in July 2024 by a magistrate’s court over a community dispute. His supporters, however, insist the ruling was politically motivated.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Release Bar. Bright Ngene Now, a Political Prisoner of Conscience” and “NBA, Please Save Our Democracy”, the protesters accused the judiciary of deliberately stalling his appeal. They alleged that at least two judges had withdrawn from the case while it remained unassigned at the state High Court.
Leader of the protest, Benedict Kachukwu, told journalists that Ngene’s trial violated due process.
“Due process was not followed in his trial. We appeal to the NBA and senior lawyers at this conference to intervene and ensure justice is done,” he said.
Security operatives prevented the demonstrators from entering the International Conference Centre, venue of the NBA conference. Nonetheless, they staged a peaceful protest outside the premises before dispersing.
