RULAAC hails NBA for condemning criminalisation of civil, defamation matters
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has commended the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for its resolution condemning the misuse of criminal law enforcement in matters that are civil in nature.
A statement by RULAAC’s executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the timely intervention of the NBA was salutary especially with the growing trends of criminalisation of disputes relating to defamation and reputational injury.
RULAAC said it fully aligns with the position adopted by the NBA NEC at its meeting held on 7 May 2026 in Awka, Anambra State, especially its concerns over the increasing deployment of police powers to arrest, detain, intimidate, and prosecute individuals in cases that ought to be addressed through lawful civil remedies.
RULAAC said the reported arrests linked to a viral social media publication concerning businessman Tony Elumelu once again highlight a troubling pattern in which influential individuals weaponize law enforcement agencies to suppress criticism, punish dissent, or settle personal grievances outside the boundaries of the law.
He said: “RULAAC has consistently maintained that the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies should not be converted into debt recovery agents, tools for enforcing private interests, or instruments for the criminalization of speech and civil disputes. Defamation, except in the narrowest circumstances recognized by law, is primarily a civil matter for which the law already provides adequate remedies, including civil litigation and claims for damages.”
According to the civil society organisation, the misuse of criminal processes in such cases not only violates constitutional guarantees of personal liberty, freedom of expression, dignity, and fair hearing, but also contributes to the erosion of public confidence in law enforcement institutions.
“It diverts scarce policing resources away from genuine crimes and fuels impunity, selective justice, and abuse of power,” RULAAC said.
The organisation frowned at the growing trend of arbitrary arrests based on petitions that merely allege reputational harm without disclosing any recognizable criminal offence.
“Such actions often result in unlawful detention, intimidation, extortion, and coercion, contrary to the provisions of the Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), and judicial precedents that have repeatedly warned against the abuse of criminal justice processes for civil purposes,” it said.
RULAAC said it supports the NBA’s demand for the immediate release of any person arrested solely in connection with publications where no lawful criminal offence has been disclosed.
“At a time when democratic freedoms are increasingly under pressure, it is imperative that institutions charged with enforcing the law act within constitutional limits and uphold citizens’ rights rather than undermine them.
“The NBA’s intervention is courageous, necessary, and consistent with the defense of constitutional democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria. RULAAC stands in solidarity with the NBA and all stakeholders committed to ending the abuse of criminal justice processes in Nigeria.”
