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Security is a right not a privilege – NBA President
Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has emphasized that security is a fundamental right for all Nigerians, not a privilege subject to discretion.
He made this assertion at the NBA North-Central Security Summit held in Makurdi, Benue State.
The summit, titled “Strengthening Security, Rule of Law, and Justice Delivery in North-Central Nigeria,” was organized in collaboration with the Benue State Government.
It also brought together key stakeholders from across the region. Delivering the keynote address, Osigwe referenced Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution.
He stressed that national security is a constitutional duty of the state. He raised concern over the worsening security situation in the region.
He was pointing to the recent abduction of six law students en route to law school and the massacre of more than 200 residents in Benue’s Yelewata community.
“These are not isolated tragedies. They reflect a larger breakdown in our security framework,” he said.
Osigwe was urging for a focus on intelligence-gathering and proactive, collaborative responses involving all stakeholders.
Osigwe called on policymakers, security operatives, traditional rulers, and legal practitioners to develop sustainable, community-based strategies to restore peace and justice in the region.
“Security is everyone’s responsibility,” he noted. “And it begins with strong, courageous conversations like the ones we are having at this summit.”
He expressed hope that the summit would lead to concrete policy actions aimed at combating insecurity and improving justice delivery in the North-Central zone and beyond.
