In a strongly-worded letter dated March 15, 2024, John Aikpokpo-Martins, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), has accused the NBA President, Y.C. Maikyau, SAN, of attempting to blackmail him amidst their ongoing face-off. Aikpokpo-Martins vehemently denied the allegations leveled against him by Maikyau and vowed not to fall for the president’s antics.
The dispute between the two officials stems from a letter dated November 24, 2023, which Aikpokpo-Martins claims was written on behalf of the Representatives of the Governing Council Board of the NBA, and not in his personal capacity. Maikyau had earlier threatened to initiate disciplinary action against the SPIDEL Chairman before the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for allegedly obtaining money under false pretenses.
See the letter below:
