NBA- No fewer than 120 victims have benefited from a partnership between Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) aimed at addressing human rights violations of torture, extra-judicial killings and arbitrary detention in Nigeria.

Country Director of ASF France, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, disclosed this during a one-day legal aid coordination meeting with NBA in fulfilment of its mandate.

The meeting was organised under the European Union and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) funded, “Strengthening the National Actors Capacities and Advocation for Ending Severe Human Rights Violations in Nigeria ” (SAFE) project, aimed at promoting human rights in Nigeria.

In attendance at the meeting were; the SAFE project support lawyers, nominated NBA pro-bono lawyers, the NBA-SAFE project focal person, and a representative of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.

The country director highlighted the importance of the engagement, saying “the legal aid coordination meeting is a very important avenue to re-evaluate their pro-bono legal aid processes and learn from each other towards improving the effectiveness of the legal aid component of the SAFE project.”

Project officer at the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Aïssatou Kumagangue, commended the support lawyers for their silent but impactful work.

Programme Manager Human Rights and Gender, European Union (EU), Esmé Stuart, also highlighted the importance of the legal aid component of the project.

According to him, “the legal aid component of the project helps to consolidate the outcomes of the entire project.

“We have to keep up the good work to ensure that we bring justice to where it is underserved,” he said.

All support lawyers also delivered presentations as regards legal aid delivery in the third year of the SAFE project in their respective states.

Recommendations were made to tackle the challenges highlighted by the support lawyers during their presentations.

The legal aid coordination meeting rounded off with deliberations aimed at improving the results of the legal aid delivery component of the project.

The SAFE project is implemented by Avocats Sans Frontières France in partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association and the Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organisation.