NBA bows to pressure, postpones Sokoto meeting

The Nigerian Bar Association has postponed its conference on Public Interest and Development Law scheduled to hold between May 22 and 26 in Sokoto State.

This follows the May 12 lynching of Deborah Samuel, a student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State.

The NBA President, Olumide Akpata, in a statement said the postponement was not only for the safety of participants, but also as a mark of respect to Deborah’s memory.

Deborah, a 200-Level Home Economics student, was murdered and her corpse set ablaze for alleged blasphemy.

Many Nigerians had called for the cancellation of the conference.

Two suspects, Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci, were on Monday remanded by a Sokoto Chief Magistrates’ Court.

Akpata said, “The NBA is deeply worried not just by the chilling news of the murder of Miss Deborah Samuel, but also by the sudden and sad turn of events and the deteriorating security situation in Sokoto State. As such, having critically reviewed the current security condition in Sokoto, it has become apparent that we cannot guarantee the safety of our guest speakers, delegates and other stakeholders that have committed to attend the NBA-SPIDEL’s conference which was designed to put the State in the global spotlight for the duration of the conference and beyond.

“Accordingly, the Executive Committee of NBA-SPIDEL came to the painful decision to request, and I have approved, that the 2022 NBA-SPIDEL Annual Conference be postponed not only for the safety of our conferees and guests, but as a mark of respect for the memory of the slain Miss Deborah Yakubu.”