Tackle harassment of lawyers in Ondo, NBA urges police - Punch Newspapers

The Chairman of the Akure branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oju Kekemeke (centre), and the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu (5th Right) during the NBA executive’s courtesy visit to the command headquarters in Akure. Photo: Peter Dada

The Akure branch of the Nigerian Bar Association has urged the Ondo State Police Command to address alleged harassment and intimidation of lawyers at police stations while representing their clients. The NBA also sought stronger collaboration with the command to improve the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law in the state. The Chairman of the Akure branch, Oju Kekemeke, made the call during a courtesy visit by the branch’s new executive to the state Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, at the command headquarters in Akure on Thursday. Kekemeke, in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday, said lawyers and police officers had complementary roles in maintaining a stable and organised society and should work together rather than engage in conflict. “The starting point is mutual respect for our professions. The lawyer must respect the Police in his line of duty. The police must also respect the lawyer as an advocate and solicitor in line with his call. “It is this understanding and collaboration that can enable us to work together in our shared institutional responsibility by making the Administration of Criminal Justice Law work in practice, from arrest and investigation through prosecution and trial,” he said. The NBA chairman proposed regular Police-NBA criminal justice coordination meetings to address issues including lawful arrests, protection of suspects’ rights, access to counsel during statement-taking, investigations, legal advice, detention, bail and bond procedures, and human rights compliance. He also proposed monthly inspections of police detention facilities and joint training programmes for lawyers and police officers. Kekemeke, however, said some lawyers had been “harassed, intimidated, and at times molested” at police stations while representing clients. NBA-SBL targets tourism investment with A’Ibom retreat NBA backs Lagos anti-street begging bill, demands safeguards Aiyedatiwa warns Ondo APC members against anti-party activities “We respectfully urge you, sir, to use your good offices to engage police officers to understand the role of the lawyers, as we will also engage our members to respect the police in the line of their duty. “If for whatever reason the police have issues with any of our members, we propose that our association be directly communicated for proper engagement of such issues to avoid recurrent conflicts,” he added. The NBA chairman also criticised the command’s policy requiring lawyers to surrender their mobile phones before entering police stations. He said the policy could affect lawyers’ ability to represent their clients, noting that phones contained information, including confidential client material. ‎”The lawyers’ phone is more than a gadget; it is a mobile library, it is a repository of information (mostly clients’ confidential information) and much more. “Reasonable screening and restrictions on photography or recording within sensitive areas may be maintained where justified, but the mere possession of a lawyer’s phone should not become an impediment to having access to his client,” he added. Responding, Ohagwu said the effective administration of criminal justice required the complementary efforts of the police, legal practitioners and other stakeholders. The commissioner welcomed the proposal for stronger collaboration between the police and NBA and assured the lawyers of the command’s readiness to sustain “professional engagement, improve communication and support initiatives that promote justice, accountability and the rule of law.” Peter Dada

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