Badejo-Okusanya Assumes Office as 33rd NBA President

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has inaugurated its 33rd President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya.

Badejo-Okusanya was sworn in on Friday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in a reported ceremony.

She succeeded the oath of office administered by her predecessor, Afam Osigwe, SAN, as President.

In his farewell speech, the former NBA President handed over a handover note to Badejo-Okusanya.

Osigwe told his successor, “This is your handover note. Later, you will get a more comprehensive one. I now out herewith.”

The ceremony of the oath was attended by senior members of the Bar and Bench, among other dignitaries.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police has debunked claims by a social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), that its officers at checkpoints on major highways provide information to kidnappers and bandits on the identity and movement of travelers, aiding them in their abduction for ransom.

The Police have described the claims made by VDM at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Port Harcourt as false and unsubstantiated.

The Police said its officers who put their lives on the line to prevent crime deserve better than a blanket accusation. This was contained in a statement made available to Naija News by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu on Thursday.

It called VDM’s allegations unfair and demoralizing, especially as there was no corresponding evidence to back them up.

Police leadership promised that officers who failed in their duty would face the full force of internal disciplinary action and the law, but said it is unacceptable to accuse the whole institution of guilt without proof as VDM did.

The Nigeria Police Force has been called to look into the comment by Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as “VeryDarkMan(VDM),” who alleged at the recent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt that police officers manning the checkpoints along major highways pass information to kidnappers and bandits on the identity and movement of travelers to facilitate abduction for ransom.

“The Nigeria Police Force considers allegations relating to the conduct of its personnel as serious issues. We want to make clear:

1. The Nature of the Charge

“The Nigeria Police Force totally refutes these unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging allegations against an institution charged with the sacred duty of protecting millions of Nigerians. Such serious allegations require a corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been reached.

“To be clear, the police personnel deployed to checkpoints and other places across the country are there to prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens, not to facilitate kidnapping. In fact, these same police officers routinely deal with the very criminal elements alleged to be receiving such information. Police personnel have been ambushed, attacked and killed, while police stations, formations and operational assets have also been targeted by terrorists, kidnapers and other violent criminals.

2. Our Officers Deserve More than Broadbrush Accusations

“The Nigeria Police Force is composed of hundreds of thousands of officers who show up for duty each day in difficult, underfunded and often dangerous conditions, many of them at checkpoints exposed to the very criminal elements they are trying to keep off our roads. It is deeply demoralizing for those officers and unfair to the vast majority who serve with integrity to be broadly and publicly accused of being complicit in the very crimes that they are sworn to prevent. Anyone found to have failed in their duty will face the full weight of internal discipline and the law.” “An entire institution should not be condemned on the strength of a public statement made without evidence,” the statement said in part.

The Police at once called upon VDM to give evidence in support of his allegations. It gave an assurance that such evidence would be prioritized and investigated thoroughly.