Legal Group Asks Court to Shut Down NBA-ICLE, Demand Refund of Lawyers’ Fees

Legal Group Asks Court to Shut Down NBA-ICLE, Demand Refund of Lawyers’ Fees

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has been urged to declare the Nigerian Bar Association’s Institute of Continuing Legal Education (NBA-ICLE) illegal and to order the refund of fees allegedly collected from Nigerian lawyers over several years.

The request is contained in a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) against the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2758/2025 and filed on December 19, 2025, ALDRAP is asking the court to shut down the NBA-ICLE, alleging that it has operated unlawfully since its establishment in 2007.

ALDRAP, whose members are lawyers engaged mainly in legislative drafting and advocacy, contends that the NBA-ICLE is not registered or incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as required under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 and previous legislations.

Among the reliefs sought is a declaration that the operation of the NBA-ICLE without incorporation renders it illegal, unlawful, null and void.

The plaintiffs also want the court to declare that the institute’s operation as a vocational and professional training body without a licence from the National Board for Technical and Vocational Education (NBTVE) violates Section 5 of the NBTVE Act.

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ALDRAP further argued that the name “NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education” is misleading and deceptive, as it creates the impression of a duly incorporated and statutorily recognised institution when it is allegedly not registered under CAMA.

The group is also asking the court to declare that all certificates issued by the NBA-ICLE are legally defective and unenforceable, having been issued without statutory authority.

In addition, the plaintiffs seek an order of perpetual injunction restraining the NBA from further operating or holding out the NBA-ICLE as a continuing legal education or certification body in Nigeria, as well as an order directing the immediate shutdown of the institute.

On refunds, ALDRAP wants the court to order the NBA to refund ₦1.2 million, being ₦150,000 paid annually over eight years (2017–2024) as Continuing Legal Education (CLE) provider fees. The group also seeks a refund of all monies allegedly collected from Nigerian lawyers nationwide since 2007 under the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education programme.

The plaintiffs further asked the court to compel the NBA to render a full account of funds collected through the NBA-ICLE since 2007 and to nullify all regulatory directives, accreditations and certifications issued by the institute.

ALDRAP posed six questions for determination, including whether the NBA-ICLE, having operated for over 17 years without CAC registration, qualifies as a legally recognised juristic entity in Nigeria.

The court is also being asked to determine whether the institute’s activities without NBTVE licensing contravene the NBTVE Act, and whether certificates issued by the NBA-ICLE are valid and enforceable.

In an affidavit supporting the originating summons, ALDRAP’s Administrative Secretary, Jesse Williams Amuga, stated that the NBA-ICLE has never been registered with the CAC nor obtained any licence, approval or accreditation from the NBTVE.

Amuga said ALDRAP was compelled to register annually as a CLE provider between 2017 and 2024, paying ₦150,000 each year, believing the institute was legally constituted. He alleged that substantial sums were collected from lawyers nationwide under the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education scheme without lawful authority, with sanctions imposed on lawyers for alleged non-compliance.

According to him, the actions of the NBA, through the NBA-ICLE, amount to illegality, regulatory abuse and unjust enrichment, warning that the alleged practices would continue unless restrained by the court.

ALDRAP maintained that the suit was filed in the public interest, urging the court to grant all the reliefs sought in the interest of justice and the rule of law.

Legal Group Asks Court to Shut Down NBA-ICLE, Demand Refund of Lawyers’ Fees