The second day of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual conference in Enugu was on Monday marred by protests demanding the release of Labour Party lawmaker, Bright Ngene.
Ngene, representing Enugu South Urban Constituency in the State House of Assembly, is serving a seven-year prison sentence handed down by a magistrate’s court over a community dispute. His supporters, however, allege that the conviction 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”, protesters accused the state judiciary of deliberately stalling his appeal. They claimed that at least two judges had withdrawn from the case, which remains unassigned at the state High Court.
Protest leader Benedict Kachukwu described Ngene’s incarceration since July 2024 as unjust.
“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 told journalists.
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Security operatives barred the demonstrators from entering the International Conference Centre, venue of the NBA gathering. Nonetheless, they staged a peaceful protest around the premises before dispersing.
