Again, the Nigerian Legal Community has been intimidated with
the incident of yet, another alleged assault of a practicing lawyer
by men of the Nigerian Police force.
TheNigerialawyer (TNL), gathered from a confidential video that
the lawyer, Mr. Mouka, was beaten by some security men opposite the
NBA Secretariat at Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The said video reveals a rowdy gathering at the front of the NBA
House where a lawyer was held by the waist by a suspected
unidentified policeman who dragged him like an uncommon criminal.
It took the intervention of some lawyers at the scene who moved the
lawyer to the NBA house for safety. Another lawyer was reportedly
pushed on the face, as evident in the video.
In a quest to confirm, further, the truth of the incidence, our
correspondent contacted the Publicity Secretary of the NBA
Port-Harcourt branch, Rose Briggs, who confirmed the incident.
According to her, she saw the post on the social media, howbeit,
she is yet to get the full details of the story. In her words, ”I
AM BLANK”.
She, however, assured us that she will visit the NBA House to
know what exactly happened after which she will get back to us.
Another lawyer who spoke to TNL, Rev. Mrs. Goma K. Ohochukwu,
Publicity Secretary of NBA Okirika Branch, said that she also saw
the post on a platform she belongs to.
Every effort to reach the NBA Port-Harcourt branch chairman
proved abortive, as his service provider confirmed his line was
switched off.
Subsequently, Rose Briggs contacted our correspondent and made
available to TNL, a press release of the branch under the
designation of the branch Chairman, Sylvester N. Adaka, Esq.
According to his account, at about 2.38 pm on Thursday, the 8th
of November 2018, there was an attempt by some men in civilian
clothes, who we later discovered were men of the Nigeria Police
Force Anti-Cultism, Port Harcourt Unit to arrest a Lawyer within
the premises of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch
Secretariat. A scuffle broke out in the process and some Lawyers
were injured in the process by the Policemen, including the Vice
Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch,
Chidi B. Ekeh, Esq., who had attempted to broker peace.
He narrated that the policemen had earlier attempted to arrest
the lawyer within the State High Court premises and the Branch
Vice-Chairman pleaded with them to reach out to the NBA to ensure
that the lawyer goes to their station peacefully. He as chairman,
pleaded to the policemen to allow him to intervene and ensure that
the lawyer goes peacefully to their office but all to no avail.
”I as Chairman also pleaded with the policemen to allow me to
intervene and ensure that the lawyer goes peacefully to their
office but all these pleas were rebuffed.
”The Branch has always advocated for amicable ways of settling
disputes especially where members of the Nigeria Police Force and
Lawyers are concerned and we totally condemn the use of brute force
as was witnessed yesterday by members of the Force,” he said.
He also condemned the use of force by men of the security forces
in the cause of arrest, stressing that there are better mechanisms
at their disposal.
”We condemn without reservation, the unnecessary use of force
against any of our members and in general any citizen of
Nigeria.
”The NBA has an efficient dispute resolution mechanism, and we
enjoin the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to
avail themselves of that mechanism to forestall unnecessary break
down of law and order between members of the Force and
Lawyers.”