The International Conference Center (ICC) Enugu, venue if the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), was invaded on Monday by a large number of protesters, who thronged the venue pleading for the release of an imprisoned NBA member and lawmaker in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Bright Ngene.
Ngene, who represents the Enugu South Urban State constituency on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) was sentenced to seven years in prison by an Enugu Magistrate court over a resurrected community matter, which was believed to be politically motivated.
The protesters, who are mostly from his constituency said that every attempt to appeal the magistrate court decision in the state High Court have proved abortive as it is believed that people from high places are holding the matter.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions: “Release Bar. Bright Ngene now; a political prisoner of conscience; “Say no to miscarriage of Justice,” “NBA is the voice of the voiceless, speak now,”
“NBA please help Bright Ngene to represent his Constituency,” “Enugu State judiciary must be independent,” “NBA please save our democracy,” “The People’s choice is not a crime, Free Bright Ngene,” and more.
One of the leaders of the protest, Mr. Benedict Kachukwu while addressing newsmen during the protest said: “We are here to register our peaceful protest to tell the world what has been happening in Enugu state for the past one year and since the 28th of July 2024, Hon Bright Emeka Ngene that won the House of Assembly seat Enugu South Urban has been unjustly incarcerated.
“Charges that were put on him were baseless, judicial process were not followed and in less than two weeks judgement was dispensed.
“And the man has been in detention since then till now. Efforts to get the matter to the High Court has proved abortive because somehow judges are now recusing themselves from the case.
“The Chief Judge has refused to assign the case to a new judge. So ever since then till now this man, Hon Bright Ngene has been in detention for no just cause.
“All because he won an election, an election he won on a free ground where the people of Enugu South Urban 1, have given him their mandate freely.
“Somehow he has reaffirmed the decision of the mandate of the people on the 16th of August 2025 where he won overwhelmingly again even from detention.
“So, we are here to plead to the Nigerian Bar Association to look into this matter so that judicial process will be followed.
“Let me make it clear that we are not afraid of going through the judicial process, we have consistently asked them to assign the case no matter the judgement that comes we will take it in good fate.
“But up till now we have not seen, we have not heard and the case has been in comatose at the state High Court.
“Several judges have recused themselves, I can recall on 11th of March 2025 one of the judges called for the judgement from the Magistrate Court, on the day of the sitting, he now said that he was recusing himself from the case. And ever since then till now, the case has not been assigned to any judge. That means the man has been languishing in jail for nothing.
“This is the highest point of any injustice meted to anybody. We are crying that South East has been marginalised but inside the South East we are marginalising ourselves.
“This is not right, this is unfair, this is not good for our democracy.
“We have written to every organ of NBA as we speak, but there has not been any kind of response from them. As I speak to you Barr Ubani Monday is aware of this case and he is here; Femi Falana, he just drove in, he is aware of this case, he is here. Top SANs are aware of this case and they are here.
“So, we have done all we could do, we decided to resort to coming here to beg. We are not here to fight, we are not here to quarrel, we are here to beg, please let this man be freed so that he can go and represent the people that voted him in the House of Assembly.”
The protesters were prevented from gaining assess into the main bow of the International Conference Center where the NBA Conference is taking place, but they made peaceful demonstration around the arena and left.
