The European Union (EU), in partnership with the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA), is supporting the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), in providing free legal advice and services to residents of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The gesture is to ensure that Nigerians have access to legal services regardless of their financial or social status.
As part of a sensitisation walk to commemorate this year’s Independence Day on October 1st, the NBA Ikorodu branch is partnering with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and the Duty Solicitors Network (DSN), to raise awareness about human rights issues, particularly those related to domestic violence, child rights, disability rights, and general human rights provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
The EU, through its Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, implemented by IIDEA, is ensuring that volunteer lawyers from both the public and private sectors can provide these free legal aid services. The initiative also aims to protect citizens’ rights while advocating for good governance, accountability, and a corrupt-free government structure.
Speaking about the sensitisation walk, Bayo Akinlade, Convener of the Duty Solicitors Network (DSN), said aside from participating in the walk, volunteer lawyers visited police detention facilities in the Ikorodu community, and spoke with inmates, offering free legal services to those in need.
He said, “Nigeria is 64, and because access to justice remains out of reach for most Nigerians, we as legal practitioners in Ikorodu believe that education and enlightenment are fundamental tools to help people understand how to access justice. In giving back to the community, we sought support from the European Union through IIDEA to deliver this service.”
“We also visited suspects who had been arrested by the police for various reasons. We will be providing them with free legal services to secure their bail or ensure that they are arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction within the constitutional time frames.”
Akinlade described the initiative as a “great opportunity” to provide free legal services, especially to those in the lowest levels of society who cannot afford professional legal advice.
Speaking about the initiative, the State Project Coordinator, RoLAC, Ajibola Ijimakinwa, said they are dedicated to making justice accessible to the most vulnerable in society, including women, children, juveniles, persons with disabilities, and victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
“We strive to ensure that every individual can seek and receive justice without barriers,” he said.
He said: “Today, we are partnering with relevant stakeholders to remove legal and institutional barriers that prevent vulnerable groups from accessing justice, ensuring they have equal opportunities to be heard and protected.”
Also, Olawumi Adeola, Chairperson of the NBA, Ikorodu branch said for six years now, they have been involved in promoting the rights of the vulnerable and less privileged in the society.
” We move from one community to another, and carry out outreaches in market places to ensure that we sensitise the public on their rights, and also lead them on how they can achieve justice, rather than taking justice into their own hands.”
Speaking about the impact that the support from the European Union has on their outreach to residents of Ikorodu, Adeola added, “The partnership with the European Union has helped us to reach out to a broader base.
“Sometimes, we do what we can with our limited resources. Therefore, partnership with an organisation like the European Union helps us to be able to cover a larger part of the society, and this is what we hope that we will be able to continue to do.”
Also, Iyabo Akingbade, State Coordinator, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, explained that her organisation, which is an establishment set up by the Federal Government, provides free legal aid services and grants access to justice to the vulnerable people.
“This programme is actually important for us to render our services in line with the mandate of the Council to the vulnerable people; to educate them on their rights, to educate them on the dangers of domestic violence, to educate them on the dangers dangers of trafficking in person, to let them know the rights of children, and to help suspects in police custody to gain their freedom.”
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