Abuja, Nigeria – A lawyer, Bob James, has petitioned Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, urging her to suspend Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), from the Body of Benchers following a public altercation with a naval officer in Abuja.
The petition follows the circulation of a video on November 11 showing Wike confronting the officer over a disputed plot of land. James described the minister’s conduct as “dishonourable” and below the standard expected of a bencher.
“The thing that makes this ugly scenario troubling is the fact that Mr Wike is not just a senior lawyer but a member of the Body of Benchers. There is no precedent in the history of the legal profession in Nigeria of a bencher publicly deploying vulgar language or the kind of aggression associated with motor park people,” James wrote.
He stressed that the Body of Benchers, which oversees the call-to-bar process and enforces professional discipline, cannot ignore behaviour that undermines the moral standards imposed on new lawyers.
James referenced professional conduct standards from other jurisdictions, including guidance from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) of England, noting that offensive or inappropriate comments outside of practice could constitute misconduct. He also cited the Court of Appeal decision in Ayorinde v. Kuforiji (2007) 4 NWLR (Pt 1024) 341, emphasizing that lawyers must guard their language both in and out of court.
He argued that allowing Wike to participate in the next call-to-bar ceremony would send the wrong message to new lawyers:
“They would just dismiss everybody on that panel as a bunch of pranksters… except the erring lawyer is a Wike.”
James urged the CJN to initiate a full investigation, insisting that if Wike is found to have used the offensive language publicly, he may not be fit to remain a member of the Body of Benchers, thus highlighting concerns over the integrity of the legal profession.
