REBUTTAL TO THE PURPORTED LEGAL THREAT ISSUED BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF MR. BABATUNDE BURKNOR

We acknowledge receipt of the statement dated 12th September 2025 titled “Misleading Publication on Barrister Bucknor Refuted with Evidence and Legal Threats.” As law-abiding students, we take matters of reputation, truth, and the sanctity of the legal profession with utmost seriousness. However, having reviewed the said response, we find it wanting in substance, shallow in evidence, and incapable of addressing the fundamental issues raised in our publication.

1. On the Claim of Legal Qualification

The Legal Practitioners Act (Cap L11 LFN 2004) is clear: only persons whose names are on the roll of the Supreme Court of Nigeria are entitled to practice as barristers and solicitors in Nigeria. Section 2(1) provides that:

“A person shall be entitled to practice as a barrister and solicitor if and only if his name is on the roll.”

We have conducted due diligence, and as at today, the name “Babatunde Burknor” does not appear on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) portal nor on the Roll of Legal Practitioners maintained by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Enrollment into a Ph.D. program in Law is not proof of legal qualification. It neither substitutes for nor confers the right to practice law.

Therefore, until verifiable proof of call to the Nigerian Bar (e.g., evidence of attendance at the Nigerian Law School and a call-to-bar certificate) is provided, any use of the title “Barrister” is misleading and amounts to professional impersonation under Section 22(1)(b) of the Legal Practitioners Act.

The University of Abuja’s land was allocated by the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development in 1988, long before the creation of Gwagwalada Area Council. The claim that approvals from the FCT Minister (in 2016, 2020, and 2021) override this original allocation is legally untenable. The Federal Capital Territory Act vests land matters in the FCTA subject to pre-existing allocations.

Furthermore, under the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, institutions hold statutory authority over their lands and properties. Students, as stakeholders, are within their rights to peacefully defend recreational spaces duly allocated to their university. The Nigerian Constitution (Section 39) protects their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Contrary to the denial issued by Mr. Burknor’s camp, there exists video and documentary evidence showing him directly inciting and commanding violent attacks against student leaders, including threats to life. These materials have been preserved and are available for presentation before the proper authorities. Section 319 of the Nigerian Criminal Code prescribes liability for threats to kill, and Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act further criminalizes threats communicated electronically.

We reiterate that students cannot and should not be subjected to intimidation or violence in the exercise of their right to protest under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution.

Defamation in Nigerian law (as defined in Guardian Newspapers Ltd v. Ajeh (2011) LPELR-1343 (SC)) is defeated where:

Or it is made on a privileged occasion.

Our publication satisfies all three. It is based on verifiable facts (absence of Mr. Burknor’s name on the Bar roll, video evidence of violent conduct, contradictory land claims), it concerns a matter of grave public interest (the integrity of the legal profession and safety of students), and it was published in good faith as fair comment.

We have explicitly stated that should authentic evidence of his legal qualification be presented, we would retract and correct the record in line with journalistic ethics. This conditional stance reinforces our good faith.

It is trite that “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.” If Mr. Burknor insists on legal action, he must first establish—clearly and publicly—his qualification as a lawyer. A Ph.D. admission letter is not, in law or in fact, proof of such qualification.

We are not engaged in a personal vendetta, nor are we driven by malice. Our duty is to truth, justice, and the public interest. If Mr. Burknor produces verifiable evidence of his call to the Nigerian Bar, we will correct the record accordingly. Until then, we stand by our publication, confident in its legality and fidelity to journalistic standards.

We urge the Nigerian Bar Association, the University of Abuja, and relevant authorities to take up this matter, not as a clash of personalities, but as a test of the integrity of our legal and academic institutions.