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The Nigerian Bar Association has denied reports alleging that a sum of $2,000 was distributed to some Senior Advocates of Nigeria as an “attendance fee” during its recent engagement in Maiduguri.
The claims, which have circulated in recent days, suggest that the payment was made in connection with activities surrounding the Association’s National Executive Committee meeting in Borno State.
However, sources at the NBA National Secretariat described the allegation as false and lacking evidentiary support.
According to the sources, the Association neither received nor authorised the distribution of any such sum to any category of its members. They stated that no funds intended for the NBA were shared with Senior Advocates, branch officers, statutory members of the National Executive Committee, or young lawyers during the Maiduguri engagement.
“The Association neither received nor authorised the distribution of any such sum,” the sources said, adding that a review of the NBA’s financial records shows no transaction reflecting the alleged payment.
The Secretariat further stated that there is no documentary evidence indicating that the Borno State Government paid $2,000 to any group on behalf of the NBA.
According to the sources, no payment voucher, disbursement schedule, official list of beneficiaries, or identifiable budgetary provision has been produced to substantiate the claim.
They also maintained that no NBA funds were diverted, misapplied, or distributed in connection with the Maiduguri programme, stressing that the Association’s accounts do not reflect any such transaction.
Addressing speculation surrounding the event, the sources confirmed that the state governor attended a cocktail reception held during the visit but stated that there was no announcement, presentation, or declaration of any financial gift to members of the Association.
The Secretariat emphasised that allegations involving public funds require verifiable evidence and noted that such claims can be examined through formal inquiries or requests made under the Freedom of Information Act.
It urged caution against treating unverified claims as established facts, reiterating that, based on the records available, no $2,000 payment was made to or received by the Association in Maiduguri.
