{
  "id": 3906584,
  "title": "OPINION… VeryDarkMan, SAN: If law is about advocacy, what exactly is NBA afraid of?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/opinion-verydarkman-san-if-law-is-about-advocacy-what-exactly-is-nba",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-28T06:03:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ripples Nigeria",
    "slug": "ripples-nigeria",
    "url": "https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/opinion-verydarkman-san-if-law-is-about-advocacy-what-exactly-is-nba-afraid-of/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chief Afam Osigwe, SAN of the Nigerian Bar Association, sparked debate on Facebook by defending the right to free speech, but clarifying that certain forms of speech are not protected. He pointed out that defamation and incitement to violence are not rights, but duties, and that rights exist within a legal framework. This led to a discussion about VDM's invitation to speak at the NBA conference. Some argued that VDM doesn't have a constitutional right to speak at the conference, but the NBA was well within its rights to invite him due to his relevance to the theme of discussing security issues. The debate also highlighted the distinction between professional advocacy in a courtroom and personal advocacy through public speaking. The NBA's decision to invite VDM was seen by some as an opportunity for lawyers to engage with real-world injustice, rather than an intellectual desecration of the conference. The conversation also touched on the broader role of law outside of the legal system, emphasizing that justice is not solely about the law on the books, but also about its application in practice and its impact on people's lives.",
  "summary": "A few days ago, my good friend and President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Afam Osigwe, SAN, posted a famous line on Facebook: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” He correctly attributed the line to Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who wrote under the […] The post OPINION… VeryDarkMan, SAN: If law is about advocacy, what exactly is NBA afraid of?…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}