A legal practitioner and presiding officer in a customary court in Ebonyi State, Barrister Sampson Imeze Ekigbo has won the 2025 Ebonyi Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award.

In just concluded Ebonyi Leadership Excellence Award hosted by NEWSMAXNG annually, Ekigbo emerged winner with 14,437 votes against two other nominees, Barrister Lilian Chinonso, and Barrister Steve Ugama.

Locally known as an advocate for human rights and the dignity of legal officers and citizens, particularly in how the law protects individuals from abuses by state officials, Ekigbo also serves as the Legal Head of HURIDE; a human rights-based organization in Ebonyi State.

He is also the acting Chairman of the NBA Abakaliki Remuneration and Anti-Quackery Committee.

While he holds the position of South East Coordinator for the global peace movement International; a UK-based organization with a presence in over 32 countries worldwide, Ekigbo is also a member of the NBA’s Remuneration Order Committee at the national level.

Additionally, the lawyer provides legal and external solicitation services to numerous establishments and agencies, both private and governmental just as he serves as a Judex on the lower bench and is also a researcher affiliated with Ebonyi State University Abakaliki.

Ekigbo’s human rights credentials were further reinforced in 2024 when he challenged a violation of his fundamental rights after officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service assaulted him, and won the case.

Rather than respond outside the law, the human rights lawyer pursued constitutional redress, a decision that culminated in a landmark Federal High Court judgment awarding damages of N22m with the court also affirming the right to dignity of the human person.

The case has since been cited by rights advocates as a strong reminder that no authority is above the law, underscoring Ekigbo’s resolve to defend human rights through due process.