Deborah’s killing: NBA-SPIDEL Sokoto conference will go on – Ubani

By Henry Ojelu

The chairman of Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest Litigation, NBA-SPIDEL, Dr. Monday Ubani has said that the section’s conference scheduled to take place in Sokoto state will go on despite the recent barbaric slaughter of Deborah, a young, female Christian student in the state.

A human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa had called for the cancellation of the Sokoto conference schedule to begin on May 22, over the gruesome killing of the young female student.

Those expected to attend the conference includes, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad; NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Chief Judge of Sokoto State, Justice Muhammad Sa’idu Sifawa, among many other dignitaries.

Speaking on the decision to go on with the conference despite the call to abort it, Ubani said that it is shocking that a senior member of the bar would make such a call when the Sokoto State Government was not complicit in the killing.

He said: “Let us all be circumspect over the sad Sokoto incident. The barbaric Killing is condenmnable as no individual has any right under our present jurisprudence to take life except in accordance with due process.

“Assuming but not conceding that the said lady has committed a written and known crime, the state alone has the requisite power to prosecute and punish the alleged crime. Extra judicial killing is not allowed by our laws.

“Having said that, it will be preposterous for some of us to be suggesting that we should cancel our conference that is billed to take place in Sokoto because of the acts of law breakers in the state.

“The barbaric act was not authorised or approved by the State Government to our knowledge. In fact the State Government has issued a statement condemning the act and requested that the crime perpetrators be brought to book. Arrest of two persons have been made and we await the outcome of the process.

“I have sent a text to the Governor and the AG and requesting for a statement that our safety is guaranteed. I am in touch with the President of the Bar, Mr Olumide Akpata and if there is any need to take a drastic decision about the conference in Sokoto we will ensure prompt communication to the constituency.

“It is absolutely wrong for our colleagues who have not consulted or called Mr President of the Bar to be calling for boycott of the conference when the state government that is hosting is not complicit in this heinous crime unless there is evidence to the contrary.

“It is like asking for conferences billed for Owerri to be cancelled because of the killings of two army personnel(husband and wife) by unknown gunmen or asking that we cancel conferences in Abuja because of some of the killings that have taken place there recently. Is there any sound logic to such requests? “