Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Maiduguri branch, Abdul-Wasiu Alfa, Wednesday announced the suspension of 14 of its members for gross misconduct.

Alfa said the suspended members had addressed a press conference against the opinion earlier expressed by executive committee of the association on allegations of sponsorship of Boko Haram against former governor Ali Modu Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, an action that violates the bye-law of the NBA under Section C 6 sub section 3.

He stressed that only the chairman of the association is mandated to speak on its behalf and that the members would remain suspended pending the determination of the committee set up to investigate their action.

“Even the person that addressed the press has only spent three years in the bar and is not qualified for any post in the association. It is only chairman that has the mandate to address the press. What they did contravenes the law. They can only call for an emergency meeting,” he said.

Alfa alleged that the suspended members were financially induced to call the press briefing, adding that their suspension was ratified by 116 members that attended the congress.

“I want to assure members of the public that NBA Maiduguri branch is intact, we are never divided, those that collected money and want to bring the association into disrepute have been sanctioned appropriately The view expressed by them is not the view of NBA Maiduguri branch,” the chairman said.

Alfa had last weekend at a press briefing called for the prosecution of former governor of Borno state, Ali Modu Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, a retired general, over allegation of them sponsoring the Boko Haram terrorist group.

But some members of the association led by one, Audu Hassan Muhammed accused their chairman of dragging the association into politics.

According to Muhammed, “the issues addressed by the Alfa led NBA at the Maiduguri news conference were politically inclined with the intention of dragging the professional body into political crisis of the state and the country at large.