Juliet Jacob 
NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, (SAN)
ABUJA, Nigeria — The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) orders the immediate reversal of the planned conferment of an honorary title on convicted pension fraudster Abdulrasheed Maina, warning that the move damages the credibility of the legal profession.
In a statement issued on Friday, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, condemned the decision by the Garki Branch chairman, Anthony Bamidele Ojo, to name Maina a “Grand Patron”.
“This action is a serious embarrassment to the Nigerian Bar Association,” Osigwe says. “It trivialises our collective fight against corruption.”
Maina was convicted over the diversion of more than ₦2 billion in pension funds. While acknowledging his right to appeal, the NBA stresses that a subsisting conviction makes any form of honour inappropriate.
“The Association will not glorify any individual with an existing criminal conviction,” the statement says.
The NBA directs the Garki Branch to withdraw the appointment immediately and refrain from further public actions that could be seen as supportive of Maina.
It also announces that disciplinary proceedings will commence against Ojo for alleged violations of professional and ethical standards.
Legal analysts say the intervention reinforces the NBA’s commitment to accountability and ethical leadership at a time of heightened public scrutiny.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Oluwatobi Adu 