NBA Postpones Sokoto Conference Over Deborah’s Murder

SOKOTO - Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday postponed its annual Section on Public Interest and Development Law Conference, which was earlier fixed for May 22 in Sokoto State over the extrajudicial killing of Deborah Yakubu.

The NBA decision which was announced in a press statement signed by the president of the association, Olumide Apata, stated that it was based on the current security situation in the state.

Apata said that the NBA decided to postpone the four-day conference because the association cannot guarantee the safety of participants and guests because of the deteriorating security situation in Sokoto State.

He maintained, “having critically reviewed the current security condition in Sokoto, it has become apparent that we cannot guarantee the safety of our guest speakers, delegates and other stakeholders that have committed to attend the NBA-SPIDEL’s conference which was designed to put the state in the global spotlight for the duration of the conference and beyond.

“Accordingly, the Executive Committee of NBA-SPIDEL came to the painful decision to request, and I have approved, that the 2022 NBA-SPIDEL Annual Conference be postponed not only for the safety of our conferees and guests but as a mark of respect for the memory of the slain Miss Deborah Yakubu.

“The NBA acknowledges the efforts put in by the Sokoto State Government towards the conference which is now beset by the prevailing security situation.

“While we recognize that the Sokoto State Government has imposed a curfew to stem the unrest, the NBA urges the State Government to fully collaborate with the federal government to initiate measures-and where necessary deploy its coercive instruments-to restore peace and order to the state, safeguard lives and property and dissuade vandalism and impunity.

“We apologize for any inconvenience that this postponement is sure to occasion. The NBA will continue to monitor the situation and will provide further information on the next steps when normalcy returns,” he stated.

The NBA president also condemned similar extra-judicial killings in other parts of the country, describing them as reprehensible, barbaric, and unacceptable.

He stressed that “Security agencies must do more to stem these ugly developments, and ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous acts, wherever or whoever they may be, are made to face the full wrath of the law.