- Say temple of justice being desecrated by ministers’ blood
- Uzodimma assures of sufficient security in general polls
Members of the Nigerian Bar Association in Imo State, on Tuesday, staged a peaceful protest following the incessant attacks, killings and kidnapping by gunmen in the state.
Their grievance was further heightened with the killing of Nnaemeka Ugboma, the Chairman, Customary Court, Ejemekwuru, in Oguta Local Government Area, on February 2 within the court premises while presiding over a matter.
The group also decried the gruesome murder of the Sole Administrator of Ideato North Local Government Area of the state, Chris Ohizu, among other incidents.
The lawyers had marched with placards from their Owerri bar center to the Police Headquarters near the Government House, Owerri.
Some of their placards read “Violent attacks on Imo citizens must end now!! #saveourland#”, “Murder in the court, stain on justice” and “We demand justice for the slain customary court chairman #JusticeforUgboma,” among others.
A nine-point communiqué read by the Chairman, NBA Owerri branch, Damian Alinnor, shortly before the protest, expressed concern that the insecurity situation in the state had assumed a worrisome state.
“We hereby call on all manner of persons engaging in violence and killings in the state to cease with immediate effect as the lives of Imo citizens are not worth losing for any reason whatsoever.
“Imo State must not be reduced to a theatre of war for any reason, known or unknown.
“Security agencies should be more tactful in their security approach and be more proactive in the safeguard of the lives and properties on Imo citizens,” he appealed.
Alinnor further called for urgent beefing up of security around the courts, including building perimeter fence as well as devise a roundtable dialogue between government and non-state actors to address the perceived agitations.
He urged the government to take more proactive actions to safeguard the lives of Imo citizens, especially the members of the bar and the bench.
According to Allinor, until members of the bar in Imo State are sufficiently assured of the safety of the Judiciary, the bar and litigants as well, it may advisedly recommend that members desist from attending courts.
“In the circumstance, the members of the bar in Imo have resolved to boycott all courts from Monday, February 6, to Wednesday, February 8, and call on the relevant authorities to make clear assurances of safety of the Judiciary, the bar and litigants before court resumes,” he said.
The communiqué was signed by the five chairmen of Owerri, Orlu, Mbaise, Okigwe and Mbano/Etiti NBA branches in the state.
The NBA members also observed a one-minute silence in honour of late Ugboma and others, who have lost their lives to insecurity in the state.
However, neither the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, nor any other senior police official attended to the protesters as at the time of report.
Also, the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye, who picked a call put across to him, however, said he was in a meeting.
Okoye did not respond to a text message soliciting his reaction on the matter.
Some members of the NBA on Monday expressed worry at the killing of their colleagues across the country.
They described it as desecration of the temple of justice.
The Chairman of a Customary Court in Oguta Local Government area of Imo, Nnaemeka Ugboma, was on February 2 reportedly shot dead by yet-to-be identified gunmen at the court’s premises.
Before Ugboma’s murder, several lawyers had been attacked and murdered in Imo State and some other parts of the country.
On December 25, 2022, a pregnant female lawyer, Mrs. Omobolanle Raheem, was shot dead in Lagos State.
Raheem was allegedly murdered by a police officer in Ajah while she was returning from a Christmas outing with her family.
In November 2022, a senior lawyer, Steven Eke was killed by unidentified gunmen in the Federal Capital Territory in the presence of his wife and son.
The Chairman of NBA, Lagos Branch, Ikechukwu Uwanna, said that every citizen possessed the right to life.
“The killing of lawyers across the country does not portend well for the NBA neither is it a good omen for the legal profession nor Nigeria.
“It is sad, dehumanizing, barbaric and uncalled for, for any person to be killed anywhere in Nigeria.
“Attacks on lawyers are something we cannot leave like that, it is a situation we must oppose and condemn in its entirety.
“We need to oppose and condemn it clearly, whether it is in Ejemekuru where a chairman of a customary court was killed, or in Lagos where a lawyer was killed or in Sokoto where a lawyer was killed, or in Calabar where a judge was killed.
“We need to all stand up and condemn this; it is our humanity that is at stake.
“We need to stand up and defend our humanity and ensure that everyone is able to respect life which none of us is able to provide,” he said.
A former Chairman of NBA, Jos Branch, Yakubu Bawa, said that the trend portended a bad omen for the nation.
“It appears that lawyers have become an endangered species,’’ he said.
According to him, the common man will be wondering what will be his lot if lawyers who can fight for their rights can be attacked and killed.
“I think that this is the right time to adopt a radical approach to addressing this issue. It is not confrontational or illegal but an effective measure.
“There is, therefore, a need for the NBA president to convene a meeting where these issues will be discussed.
“As lawyers, we must also be vigilant in terms of security, and take care of ourselves. It is sad that we have become endangered species.
“We must all put our hands on deck to deal with this plague,” he said.
The Chairman of NBA, Ota Branch, Wale Adegoke, also regretted the murder of some lawyers in recent times, saying that it could weaken the judicial institution.
“Regretfully, the temple of justice is being desecrated by the blood of the priests/ministers.
“Consequently, by the show of brute force on her personnel, the judicial institution is being weakened.
“We cannot afford this gory state of affairs in the interest of nation building and our collective wellbeing,’’ he said.
He called on the state governors to beef up security in all court facilities.
“All visitors to these facilities should be subjected to searches for enhanced security for our judicial officers and legal practitioners,” he urged.
Adegoke also advocated collaboration and effective networking among security agencies in each state to upscale intelligence gathering on judicial facilities.
A constitutional lawyer, Spurgeon Ataene, said that attacks on lawyers and judges had become a huge cause for concern.
“All over the world, we are held responsible for some malfeasance and misfeasance.
“It is ludicrous to see us, lawyers, bearing the brunt of society’s undoing.
“There was the belief in the ancient times that, in order to have a quiet society, you first have to do away with lawyers.
“As absurd as that saying is, some members of society actually see lawyers as their problems rather than those who resolve crisis.
“I, therefore, advocate establishment of lawyers and judicial officers’ safety corps.
“I am of the opinion that if established through legislation, every law firm and judicial officer or lawyer will operate under the radar of the sophisticated security system to ensure their safety,” he said
Ataene urged NBA branches to emphasize security and welfare of their members at all times.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma has assured that there will be enough security during the forthcoming elections.
He gave the assurance in a meeting he had on Tuesday at the Rockview Hotel, Owerri with the All Progressives Congress Ward Executives, Local Government executives, Zonal executives, State Executive members, Sole Administrators, Development Centre Chairmen and former Interim Management Chairmen of the Councils in Imo State.
Cognizance of the nefarious activities of non-state actors and their sponsors in orchestrating killings, kidnappings, and targeting mainly APC members, the Governor assured the party leaders that “Government will provide sufficient security to stop all forms of threats and harassment of innocent citizens and prevent them from voting their preferred candidate and party in the forthcoming elections.”
The Governor who said he was aware of reports of intimidations, persecutions, harassments and threats said “we will have peaceful elections in Imo State and no person or group of persons will stop Imo people from exercising their electoral responsibilities.”
He bemoaned the despicable situation where only APC men and women are being hunted for and killed, party members property destroyed for no reason, all instigated by the opposition parties using unknown gunmen, saying the situation has to stop.
The Governor commended the dexterity and resilience of the APC members in the state for coming out whenever they are invited, noting that “in the face of harassment you still stand firm and have trust in the Party you belong.”
Governor Uzodimma told the audience that nothing will push him into joining the evil men and women in the killing of innocent Imo citizens; rather, he assured the party faithful that his government will stop at nothing in fishing out those behind the killings in Imo State.
“APC is at the National, APC is in Imo State and election is about the people, therefore APC stands as a party to beat. When the opposition discovered that it is difficult to defeat the party in power they decided to create what they called distractions.”
Governor Uzodimma reiterated that his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari was instrumental to Imo State getting the necessary support and financial grants to carry out her responsibility, noting that the efforts of his administration in the areas of shoring up Internally Generated Revenue made it possible for his government to make the first advance payment of N10 billion to Craneburg Construction Company for the construction of the Owerri/Okigwe and the Owerri/Orlu roads.
The Governor then told the party executives to go home and assert their positions, take ownership of their Wards as the ruling party based on the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic as amended, assuring them of total support of the State Government under his watch.
Welcoming the Governor to the meeting, the Chairman of APC in Imo State, MacDonald Ebere said that the party leaders from the 305 Electoral Wards were all gathered to listen and take directives from the Governor as the leader of the party in the state regarding the forthcoming election, promising that by time they leave the meeting “all their fears and anxieties must have been assuaged.”
Present at the Meeting were the Deputy Governor, Placid Njoku, the Speaker Imo State House of Assembly, Emeka Nduka, members of the State House of Assembly, the Secretary to the State Government, Cosmas Iwu, the Chief of Staff, Nnamdi Anyaehie, members of the State Expanded Executive Council and some apex leaders of Imo State APC.
