Ex-Kogi CPS Onogwu Muhammed Called to Bar, Vows to Champion Justice Reform

• Onogwu Isah Muhammed, ex-chief press secretary to Kogi’s former governor, has been called to the Nigerian Bar and pledged to drive justice reforms
• He recounted how personal encounters with rights abuses inspired him to pursue law as a means to protect the vulnerable and fix systemic flaws
• Muhammed vowed to focus on criminal justice reform, civic legal education and policy advocacy, describing his new role as a lifelong calling

Onogwu Isah Muhammed, who once served as chief press secretary to the former governor of Kogi State, has formally joined the Nigerian Bar with a pledge to use his legal career as a force for justice, reform and protection of society’s most vulnerable.

At the call to bar ceremony, Muhammed described the occasion not as an endpoint but as the beginning of a lifelong mission to address flaws in the justice system and give voice to those often unheard.

Sharing reflections from his own journey, he noted that exposure to instances of human rights abuses and systemic failings first sparked his determination to study law.

“I studied law not just for personal achievement, but because I was driven by something deeper; my experience of witnessing injustice, abuse of rights, and the devastating consequences of weak legal systems,” he explained.

Muhammed recalls early judiciary admiration

Reflecting on his early admiration for Nigeria’s judiciary, Muhammed recalled a time when court pronouncements were trusted and accepted without question.

“At that time, the decisions of our courts were trusted and revered. One could liken the pronouncements of the court to Roma locuta, causa finita est — Rome has spoken; the matter is settled,” he said.

Yet he also raised concern over declining public trust, political interference and inconsistent judgments, warning that such trends threaten the very credibility of the justice system.

“A poorly reasoned or blatantly biased judgment from the court does more than harm the litigants before it. It inflicts deep and lasting damage on the national psyche. These are not just problems — they are national emergencies,” Muhammed observed.

Ex-Kogi CPS decries injustice in country

Drawing from his experience as a certified public policy analyst and his time during an externship, he described visiting detention facilities where he encountered detainees held without formal charges, in violation of Nigeria’s constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

“One particular inmate, who had spent three months in detention, said he was arrested while going to buy suya and was never informed of the reason for his arrest,” he recalled.

With his new role as barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Muhammed pledged to focus on reforming criminal justice processes, expanding civic legal education and advocating for policies that protect disadvantaged citizens.

“The legal robe I am licensed to wear henceforth is not the end of a journey — it is the beginning of a calling. A calling to be a voice. A defender. A reformer. A servant,” he declared.

He concluded by expressing gratitude to mentors and supporters, including former Kogi governor Yahaya Bello, whom he described as “the wind beneath my wings,” along with other colleagues and senior legal figures.

“May the Nigerian Bar continue to rise, and may justice once again become the standard by which we govern and are governed,” Muhammed said.

LASU grad named best female student

Earlier, Legit.ng reported Lagos State University (LASU) had recorded another remarkable academic milestone as one of its alumni, Lawal Maryam Abiodun, was honoured as the best graduating female student at the Nigerian Law School’s Call to Bar ceremony held in Abuja on Thursday, July 10, 2025.

Maryam, who studied Common and Islamic Law at LASU’s Faculty of Law, also emerged as the second overall best graduating student among 7,134 fresh lawyers called to the Bar this year.

Source: Legit.ng