WARRING SANS DRAG SELVES TO NBA

By NBF News

There were indications at the weekend that two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Benbella Anachabe and Ricky Tarfa might drag themselves before the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) over allegations of misconduct.

A counsel in Tarfa's chambers, Ms. Regina Okotie-Eboh had last Wednesday reportedly traded unprintable words with Anachebe in the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

NBA President, Mr. Joseph Daudu told Daily Sun yesterday that his executive were aware of the incident, but have yet to take any action because none of the parties (Tarfa and Anachebe) had lodged any formal complaint.

'Yes, we heard of it (the altercation). But no report of it has been brought to our notice, so we cannot do anything for now,' he said.

Anachebe and Ms. Okotie-Eboh however told Daily Sun in separate interviews that they were considering petitioning NBA over the incident.

'My petition is ready in my computer. But for friends who have been appealing to me not to drag this matter, I would have dispatched it by (last) Friday. But now that I hear they are sending theirs, maybe mine would even get there before theirs,' he told Daily Sun.

The senior advocate said he was miffed because Ms. Okotie-Eboh was in contempt of the legal tradition, which accords respect to senior lawyers. According to the SAN, the comparism he drew between his wife and the lawyer (Okotie-Eboh) was merely to call her to order and not to achieve a sexist agenda.

However, Ms. Okotie-Eboh, who said she was still in a state of shock arising from Anachebe's comments said, she has been under pressure from various women's rights groups to take up the matter, 'but I don't want to make it a male-female issue,' she said. She said she had to restrain herself from confronting Mrs. Anachebe, whom she said attempted to physically assault her the following day, adding that her employers were handling the petition to NBA.