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From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
A human rights advocate and legal practitioner, Rilwan Birnin Kebbi Umar, has said his elevation to the exclusive rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) will propel him to continue to render humanitarian services to the less-privileged across the country.
Umar stated this while reacting to the approval of the 87 lawyers elevated to the Inner Bar by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola.
The Kebbi State indigene has been rendering free legal services to inmates in many correctional service centres across the country, freed many of them who could not afford their fines and were on the waiting trial and their charges cannot be proven by prosecutor authorities.
While reacting to his elevation to the rank of SAN, Umar said: “This new rank would propel me to continue to discharge my humanitarian service to the people of Nigeria, especially the less privileged who might not have access to the justice system.
“I have been doing that for many years because less privileges in our society need to be assisted. Those in the prisons without concrete evidence against them and have nobody to stand or pay their fines need to be rescued from their ordeals. I believe by continuing in this direction, our correctional centres would be decongested and nobody will be oppressed or denied justice in any form.”
Umar, who graduated from Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto, attended Nigeria Law School, Abuja from 2003 to 2004 and attended many institutions, including Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and obtained Masters on International Affairs and Diplomacy Masters Class at the London Graduate School and conferred with Doctorate Degree of Laws by Commonwealth University, London and a fellow of Centre for Public Service Productivity and Development and Institutes of Institute of Chartered Management Consultants.
Umar was also conferred with a traditional title of Kachallan Gwandu in 2021 by Emir of Gwandu, Miuhammad Bashar.
On August 1, 2024, LPPC, SCN under the CJN, Ariwoola, gave approval for the elevation of Umar alongside other 86 lawyers across Nigeria to the Inner Bar, known as SAN.
SCN Chief Registrar and Secretary to LPPC, Sarki Bello, in a statement said the rank of SAN is awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academics.
“The LPPC under Ariwoola, at its 164th plenary session on August 1, 2024 had approved the elevation of 87 legal practitioners to the Inner Bar.
“The meeting further considered five different petitions written against some of the applicants and determined that each of the petitions lacked merit and thus dismissed. The swearing-in-ceremony of the 87 successful applicants is scheduled to take place on Monday, September 30, 2024,” she said.
