NBA Members Protest Colleague’s Detention At Ibadan EFCC Office …Detained Lawyer Hurriedly Released

Members of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ibadan Branch, stormed the Ibadan, Oyo State office of the Economy and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday to protest their colleague’s detention by the anti-graft agency.

Barr. Phillip Ojo, was arrested by the EFCC and detained alongside the bailiff of the Oyo State High Court while trying to serve a court process on the Commission.

However, the Court bailiff was released after writing a statement as directed by the official of the Commission but the affected lawyer was said to have refused to write the statement.

An EFCC source stated that the affected lawyer came for the release of a seized vehicle but couldn’t provide the necessary documents.

However, the leadership of the association described his detention as flagrant abuse of rule of law and human rights.

This development led to a peaceful protest that was staged in the early hours of Thursday which terminated at the EFCC zonal office at Iyaganku in Ibadan South West local government area.

The protesters had earlier demanded amongst other things an unconditional release of their colleagues and his personal belongings.

They described the action of the EFCC as illegal and flagrant abuse of human rights.

Armed with placards with inscriptions such as “Orji Chukwuma can not continue to act with immunity” “Harassment and intimidation of lawyer must stop” the protesters vowed not to leave the EFCC premises until their demands are met.

The EFCC official in order to douse the build up tension sought for a meeting between the representatives of the agency and the lawyers.

The chairman nominated five of its members for a closed door meeting with the Agency.

Meanwhile, a few hours after the protest, EFCC released the lawyer.

The lawyer was arrested on August 21, 2024, while carrying out his lawful duty as a legal practitioner, accompanying a court bailiff to serve a court process on the EFCC.

According to the NBA Ibadan Branch, the EFCC Ibadan Command’s actions towards lawyers have been a persistent issue. The immediate past executive of the bar, under the chairmanship of Mrs. Folasade Aladeniyi, had previously met with the commission to address this matter. However, the meeting appears to have yielded no results, as the acts of disrespect towards lawyers continue unabated.