Activist Sulaiman Urges Ibadan NBA To Prioritize Human Rights, Emulate Ikeja Counterpart

Human rights activist Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ibadan Branch to model its human rights advocacy after the NBA Ikeja Branch, emphasizing the need for stronger legal defense of human rights in Oyo State.

Sulaiman highlighted persistent human rights violations in the state, particularly in Ibadan, where he accused security agents and politicians of suppressing the rights of citizens. He specifically pointed to economic rights abuses, citing his recent experience of alleged illegal arrest and detention alongside 11 artisans during a peaceful protest.

The protest, organized by artisans under the leadership of Sulaiman, sought to resist a reported attempt by Seye Famojuro, an associate of Governor Seyi Makinde, to take over a Federal Road setback leased to the artisans by the Federal Housing Authority. According to Sulaiman, the state police, led by Commissioner of Police Ayodele Sonubi, were used to suppress the peaceful demonstration.

Speaking during the 2025 Annual Fawehinmism event, which honors the legacy of late legal luminary Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), Sulaiman urged lawyers in the NBA Ibadan Branch to actively defend the fundamental rights of citizens. He expressed concern over innocent Nigerians being held in police custody and correctional facilities across the state without trial.

Sulaiman, currently detained at Agodi Correctional Centre awaiting a bail hearing, criticized the Oyo State Police Command for contributing to the congestion in correctional facilities by making frivolous arrests.

In a statement signed by Pastor Michael Agassi, Assistant General Secretary of the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), Sulaiman described a pervasive climate of human rights violations in Oyo State. He noted that these abuses have stifled the freedoms of speech and expression guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The activist urged the NBA Ibadan Branch to take proactive steps in addressing these challenges, advocating for justice and the protection of human rights across the state.