No university in Nigeria offers B.Sc in Law—NBA President

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, has declared that no university in Nigeria offers B.Sc in Law.

Mikyau, SAN spoke on Thursday in reaction to the controversy surrounding the recent testimony by one Vera Anyim, who claimed  she graduated from the National Open University with a B.Sc degree in Law.

BAR & BENCH WATCH reports that last  Sunday, a woman by name Vera came on the altar of Dunamis Church in Abuja to share a testimony on how God made her the “only graduate in her family”.

During the testimony, Vera said she graduated with a “B.Sc in Law” from NOUN.

Pastor Enenche had ‘cross-examined’ Vera what kind of degree was awarded on completion of her Law programme to which  she said ‘’B.Sc in Law.”

The clergyman had thereafter accused Vera of lying, claiming that universities in Nigeria award LLB in Law contrary to the claim of Vera.

The drama thereafter sparked a nationwide outrage, with few applauding the courage of the clergyman to query the authenticity of her testimony while others blamed the clergyman for his wrong claim and decision to embarrass Vera.

Joining issue on Thursday, at a press conference, the NBA President said no university in Nigeria awards B.Sc in law.

NBA is the umbrella association of Nigerian lawyers in Nigeria.

Mikysu said: “I was privileged to have watched the video of a woman who stood up in church and, supposedly, was giving a testimony of how she went through challenges and now has graduated from an open university or so.

“And the man of God sitting in that congregation himself sensed that there was something wrong with the supposed testimony.

“And what he said is also something that is complementary of the legal profession in a way.

“Because he said, the way the person who was testifying spoke.

“The English that she spoke, bad as the situation, was reflective of an English spoken by a lawyer.

“And that was how he now posed the question.

“And himself also acting like a lawyer that has mastered the skills of cross-examination and asked her to describe because he said, OK, if you read medicine, it should be MBBS.

“Now that you have graduated and you have a law degree, what is it called? The person said, B.Sc.

“So, should we be answering the question of whether there is B.Sc in law?

“I don’t think so. It is not the Council of Legal Education that says so.

“It is not the Body of Benchers that calls lawyers to the bar that says you have B.Sc. It is not NBA. that says so.

“The person who attempted to arrogate B.Sc law to herself was found to have lied. We should not really be wasting time talking about someone who has lied.

“And of course, everyone knows that that is not the way to describe the degree in law, it is never described like that.

“It is not B.Sc. And if you want to have one so that you can appreciate what it is really.

“And I’m sure the sales of JAMB forms have started, get one JAMB form, get admitted, at the end of that training. Four, five years training, we know exactly what the degree is or what it is when you study law. That is certainly not B.Sc law.

“And the person who said it was found to have lied. We shouldn’t be wasting our time,” he added.

BAR & BENCH WATCH recalls that Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, as far back as 2019 in an article titled: Repositioning Legal Education for National Development,” had clarified thus: “

“In the period after independence, positive action was taken by the government and most of the recommendations of the Unsworth Committee were implemented through the Legal Education Act of 1963 and the Legal Practitioners Act of 1962. 

“The Nigerian Law School was set up in 1962.  It ran a three-month course in January to April 1963 for graduates who had been called to Bar in England while Law graduates who had not been called to the Bar in England had to complete a one-year course starting from October 1963.

“Unfortunately, the recommendation of the Unsworth Committee that a Faculty of Law be established at the University College, Ibadan was not accepted by the Government.

“However, in 1961, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka established the Faculty of Law, the first in the country.

“A person aspiring to study law at a university in Nigeria is required to have completed secondary school education and passed the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Exam or its equivalent with at least five ‘O’ Level credit passes in Arts and Social Science subjects, including English, Mathematics and Literature-in-English.

“Candidates are admitted into the Faculties of Law in Nigerian universities either by direct entry or by undertaking the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board, JAMB, examination.

“Direct entry candidates are admitted into the second year of the five-year LLB (Bachelor of Laws) degree programme.

“The qualifications acceptable for direct entry (in addition to the ‘O’ level subjects) include a university degree in disciplines other than law; a two-year diploma in law; and other qualifications in fields outside law such as a Higher National Diploma in a related course. They also include ‘A’level papers in History, Government, Economics, Religious Studies and Literature-in-English.

“It takes five years to complete a law degree in a Nigerian university. Upon completion, graduates are awarded an LL.B (‘Bachelor of Laws Degree’),” he added