The Lagos branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the Nigerian Navy for labeling retired naval officer and lawyer, Vice Admiral Dada Olaniyi Labinjo (Rtd.), as a “deserter,” describing the action as false, baseless, and in contempt of a subsisting court judgment.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Barrister Uchenna Ogunedo Akingbade, the NBA demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Navy’s signal of September 3, 2025, which classified Labinjo as a deserter.
The Association stressed that the action directly contravened the judgment of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), delivered on March 24, 2025, by Justice I. G. Nweneka, in Suit No. NICN/LA/67/2023: Dada Olaniyi Labinjo v. Nigerian Navy & 3 Ors.
According to the judgment, Labinjo was not absent without leave, and by April 12, 2017, he had already attained the statutory retirement age of 60 and completed 35 years of service. The court declared him a retired naval officer with effect from April 11, 2017, and rejected the Navy’s argument that he could be kept in service beyond that date.
Despite this, the Navy’s September 3, 2025, signal purportedly classified him as a deserter effective December 2, 2019. The NBA said this amounted to a “grave overreach” and a deliberate attempt to undermine judicial authority.
“The authority of the court cannot be undermined by unlawful signals or arbitrary actions from the Nigerian Navy,” the statement read. “If dissatisfied, the Navy should seek redress through lawful channels, not by disregarding binding judgments.”
The Lagos NBA reaffirmed its solidarity with Vice Admiral Labinjo, pledging to take all necessary steps to protect his constitutional rights and ensure compliance with judicial decisions. It also reiterated its commitment to upholding the rule of law and defending the fundamental rights of Nigerians.
