To ensure that Nigerians have access to legal services regardless of their financial or social status, the European Union (EU), in partnership with the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA), is supporting the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in providing free legal advice and services to residents of Ikorodu, Lagos State.

As part of a sensitisation walk to commemorate this year’s Independence Day on October 1st, the NBA Ikorodu branch is partnering with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and the Duty Solicitors Network (DSN) to raise awareness about human rights issues, particularly those related to domestic violence, child rights, disability rights, and general human rights provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

The EU, through its Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, implemented by IIDEA, is ensuring that volunteer lawyers from both the public and private sectors can provide these free legal aid services. The initiative also aims to protect citizens’ rights while advocating for good governance, accountability, and a corrupt-free government structure.

Speaking about the sensitisation walk, Bayo Akinlade, Convener of the Duty Solicitors Network (DSN), explained that, aside from participating in the walk, volunteer lawyers visited police detention facilities in the Ikorodu community, and spoke with inmates, offering free legal services to those in need.

He said, “Nigeria is 64, and because access to justice remains out of reach for most Nigerians, we as legal practitioners in Ikorodu believe that education and enlightenment are fundamental tools to help people understand how to access justice. In giving back to the community, we sought support from the European Union through IIDEA to deliver this service.”

“We also visited suspects who had been arrested by the police for various reasons. We will be providing them with free legal services to secure their bail or ensure that they are arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction within the constitutional time frames.”

Akinlade described the initiative as a “great opportunity” to provide free legal services, especially to those in the lowest levels of society who cannot afford professional legal advice.

“It is very important that lawyers have support to undertake this kind of walk. I am glad that the EU and IIDEA have stepped in.”

Speaking about the initiative, Ajibola Ijimakinwa, State Project Coordinator, RoLAC, said, “RoLAC is dedicated to making justice accessible to the most vulnerable in society, including women, children, juveniles, persons with disabilities, and victims of sexual and gender-based violence. We strive to ensure that every individual can seek and receive justice without barriers.

“Today, we are partnering with relevant stakeholders to remove legal and institutional barriers that prevent vulnerable groups from accessing justice, ensuring they have equal opportunities to be heard and protected.”

According to Olawumi Adeola, Chairperson of the NBA, Ikorodu branch, “For six years now, we have been involved in promoting the rights of the vulnerable and less privileged in the society. We move from one community to another, and carry out outreaches in market places to ensure that we sensitise the public on their rights, and also lead them on how they can achieve justice, rather than taking justice into their own hands.

“In situations where we feel that their case requires an immediate intervention, we refer them to our committees in the branch. We have the legal aid committee and the committee on domestic violence, child rights, and persons with disabilities. They sit on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week in our High Court. We ensure that we see those matters to a logical conclusion.”

Speaking about the impact that the support from the European Union has on their outreach to residents of Ikorodu, Adeola added, “The partnership with the European Union has helped us to reach out to a broader base. Sometimes, we do what we can with our limited resources. Therefore, partnership with an organisation like the European Union helps us to be able to cover a larger part of the society, and this is what we hope that we will be able to continue to do.”

Iyabo Akingbade, State Coordinator, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, explained that her organisation, which is an establishment set up by the Federal Government, provides free legal aid services and grants access to justice to the vulnerable people. “This programme is actually important for us to render our services in line with the mandate of the Council to the vulnerable people; to educate them on their rights, to educate them on the dangers of domestic violence, to educate them on the dangers dangers of trafficking in person, to let them know the rights of children, and to help suspects in police custody to gain their freedom.

“That is why we are partnering with this programme today to ensure that the rights of vulnerable people, whether as suspects or victims of domestic violence, are protected, and if they need free legal services for anything, even beyond legal advice, if it is something that involves filing a matter in court or defending them in court, we are ready to provide free legal services,” she said.

A landlord and beneficiary of the initiative, Taiwo Abiola, said, “I am very happy with this initiative because it has enlightened me on how to apply the rule of law to seek and get justice for myself. I currently have an issue with one of my tenants who has refused to leave my property after I have given him a notice of eviction because he has refused to pay his rent for a long period of time.

“Today, a lawyer has advised that I should not take the law into my own hands but report the case to the court to get justice. I also urge other landlords like myself to always follow the line of the law and not take laws into their own hands.”