World Humanitarian Day Statement by Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN.

World Humanitarian Day Statement by Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN. 

Today, on World Humanitarian Day, we are reminded that humanitarianism is not an abstract global ideal but a daily responsibility to protect life, dignity, and justice within our own communities. 

The theme, “Strengthening Global Solidarity and Empowering Local Communities,” challenges us as Nigerians to stand against cruelty, violence, and practices that strip people of their humanity.

This past week, our collective conscience has been shaken by three distressing events. A young lawyer, Mr. Innocent Igho of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch, was brutally murdered, robbing our profession of a bright light and wounding the very heart of justice. In Anambra State, a young widow was subjected to dehumanizing rituals at the very moment she deserved compassion and protection. And only days ago, a youth corps member, Elohor, serving her country under the National Youth Service Corps scheme, was assaulted by vigilante operatives who harassed her colleagues at gunpoint, allegedly accused them falsely of cybercrime, stripped her naked, and left her bloodied and humiliated.

To kill a lawyer is to wound justice, To dehumanize a widow is to betray our humanity. To brutalize a youth corps member, whose service is meant to symbolize unity and sacrifice is to mock the very ideals on which our nation stands. 

These are not isolated tragedies, they are a mirror reflecting the fragility of dignity when law and humanity are abandoned.

We cannot remain silent. I call on the Inspector General of Police, State Commissioners of Police, and all security agencies to urgently bring the killers of Mr. Innocent Igho who have been allegedly apprehended to justice. I call on the Governor of Anambra State, H.E. Prof. Charles C. Soludo, CFR, and the Hon. Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs. Ify Obinabo, to act decisively in protecting women, widows from degrading customs and abolishing these practices across communities. 

I commend the swift action already taken by the Anambra State Government in arresting the vigilantes responsible for the assault on Elohor and urge that justice must not only be done but be seen to be done.

I further call on the leadership of FIDA Nigeria, the NBA Women’s Forum, AWLA, and all women’s rights organisations to sustain advocacy and support for the vulnerable. Equally, I urge our local government chairmen, traditional rulers, and community leaders to summon the moral courage to discard harmful practices and reject lawlessness in our communities.

On this World Humanitarian Day, let our remembrance go beyond words. Let it mark the beginning of sustained action to ensure that every Nigerian, lawyer,  widow, youth, or citizen can live in safety, dignity, and hope. 

True humanity is not measured in speeches but in deeds. Let us rise together to choose compassion over cruelty, justice over impunity, and dignity over dehumanization. Only then can we build a Nigeria worthy of its promise.

Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, FCIArb (UK), FCIMC, Life Bencher