The murder of Ifeanyi-Rolex Iloakasia, a Nigerian lawyer gunned down after securing bail for a client in a murder case, has triggered renewed calls for justice and sweeping security reforms by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Anambra State.
The legal community’s protest, including a statewide court boycott, underlines a deepening crisis of safety facing legal practitioners in Nigeria’s volatile southeast region.
Iloakasia, a member of the NBA’s Otuocha branch, was killed on 15 May 2025 alongside his client in Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area, while returning from a court sitting at Ekwulobia High Court.
According to the Anambra State Police Command, the attackers trailed the victims who were travelling in a red Toyota Camry before ambushing and shooting them in broad daylight.
“The escapee has been debriefed by the police and has provided crucial information that is aiding ongoing investigations and manhunt operations,” said Tochukwu Ikenga, a superintendent of police and spokesperson for the command. He confirmed that one other victim survived the attack and is currently receiving medical treatment.
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Preliminary investigations revealed that Iloakasia had earlier that day secured bail for a defendant in a pending murder trial at High Court II, Ekwulobia. While the police are yet to confirm any direct link between the legal victory and the subsequent killing, the sequence of events has intensified public scrutiny and concern over targeted violence against legal professionals in Nigeria.
The attack comes amid worsening insecurity in Anambra State, where at least 82 incidents of violent killings were recorded between January 2023 and April 2024, based on aggregated data from the Nigeria Security Tracker, a project of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Across Nigeria, the broader context is equally troubling. In 2023 alone, non-state actors reportedly killed 3,841 people and abducted 4,243 others, according to a report by TheCable. In the first three months of 2024, no fewer than 526 persons were killed and 949 kidnapped nationwide.
Legal practitioners and court officials in the southeast have been among those increasingly targeted in this wave of violence, often caught in politically or criminally motivated attacks that threaten the rule of law and judicial independence.
In a statement signed by K.G. Abonyi, chairperson of the Committee of Chairmen and Secretaries of the NBA in Anambra, the association described the killing as “a blatant assault on the legal profession and the rule of law.”
The NBA condemned the attack as “senseless” and drew parallels with the recent killing of another legal practitioner, Awa P. Awa, former vice chairperson of the NBA Ihiala Branch.
The association announced a statewide boycott of all court sittings on 20 and 21 May 2025, symbolising their collective grief and protest.
“Too many lawyers have been sacrificed to insecurity in this state, and the legal profession cannot thrive under an atmosphere of fear and insecurity,” the statement read.
“We appreciate the swift response of the Commissioner of Police, Anambra, who promptly visited the crime scene for an on-the-spot assessment,” the statement continued. “However, we urge the Commissioner of Police, SSS, and other law enforcement agencies to intensify efforts to ensure the perpetrators do not evade justice. Speedy action is crucial in identifying and apprehending those responsible for this horrific crime.”
The association also called on Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo to overhaul the state’s security architecture and prioritise the safety of judicial officers and lawyers.
“We urge the state government to prevent future recurrence through comprehensive intelligence and community-based security interventions,” the NBA stated.
