The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’adu Abubakar, Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, and South African politician, Julius Malema, have called on lawyers to rise to the defense of justice and safeguard the interests of the poor in society.
They made the appeal on Sunday during the 2025 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual Conference held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, with the theme “Stand Out and Stand Tall.”
The Sultan of Sokoto urged legal practitioners to ensure that law achieves its core objectives of promoting justice, protecting rights, resolving disputes, and advancing social progress. He lamented that justice was increasingly becoming a purchasable commodity, with the poor often suffering miscarriages of justice while the rich evade accountability. He emphasized the need for continued legal reforms to decolonise laws, align them with cultural values, and strengthen social justice.
Declaring the conference open, Governor Peter Mbah said his administration was committed to building a justice system that is fair, functional, and trusted by the people. He highlighted ongoing reforms in Enugu State, including the financial autonomy of the judiciary, rehabilitation and digitisation of courts across the three senatorial zones, and the introduction of e-filing facilities at the High Court Complex. He also noted the expansion of the Enugu Multi-Door Courthouse as a model for commercial and family dispute resolution.
In his keynote remarks, Julius Malema described lawyers as indispensable players in liberation struggles, acting as interpreters of rules and defenders of the voiceless. He stressed that while activists protest and governments legislate, it is lawyers who enforce justice in the courts, making the profession vital for achieving fairness, equality, and democracy.
NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, commended Governor Mbah for hosting the event and Malema for accepting the keynote invitation, noting that his presence underscored the legal profession’s role in Africa’s broader struggle for justice, sovereignty, and economic independence.
Enugu NBA Chairman, Chief Venatus Odoh, praised the association’s role as a defender of rule of law and democracy, while appreciating all who contributed to the success of the conference.
