At least 97 civil rights
lawyers, including 10
Senior Advocates of
Nigeria, SANs, have
volunteered to offer
free legal services
otherwise known as
pro bono to Anti-
Corruption Network,
ACN, led by a former
member of the House
of Representatives,
Dino Melaye, in a N10.2
billion libel suit instituted
by the Attorney-
General of the
Federation and Minister
of Justice, Mr.
Mohammed Bello Adoke,
SAN.
The team of
volunteering lawyer will
be slugging it out with
the 11-man legal team
assembled by the AGF
against the ex-
lawmaker at an Abuja
High Court.
But Melaye while
addressing journalists
at the weekend
insisted that neither
himself nor the anti-
graft group have been
served the court notice.
According to him, the
offer of free legal
services was a
justification of the
alleged abuse of office
by the AGF.
He said; “It shows that
those in the legal
profession have
recognised the abuse of
office and flagrant
disregard for the rule of
law by the AGF. Many of
the lawyers complained
of the conduct of the
AGF and have vowed to
furnish this case with
additional information
and obvious cases of
abuse of office by
Adoke.
“The bastardisation,
monetisation and
commercialisation of
the legal profession
must stop. Conflict of
interests must become
history. Public interest
must be placed above
selfish or personal
interests in the
discharge of official
responsibilities in the office of the AGF