The arrest of three lawyers working on a petition for the All Progressives Congress in the Rivers state governorship election has been condemned by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
The NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, described the incident as unfortunate and disturbing in a statement issued by the association’s National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Habeeb.
The Association also promised to press for sanctions against any police officers who were found to have abused their position during the incident.
The lawyers, Jerry Aondo, Sobere Nelson, and Odum Eyiba, were said to be preparing the petition in a hotel in the state when they were arrested by the police.
They are representing the governorship candidate of the APC Tonye Cole, who is challenging the outcome of the election which produced Simi Fubara of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as Governor-elect.
Maikyau condemned the use of police officers as tools for contravening the rule of law.
He disclosed that although the police authorities had assured him of their release, the NBA would ensure that those involved in the lawyers’ arrest would face the law.
The president warned that situations where the police were apparently being used to harass and intimidate lawyers, is a direct affront to the rule of law and a threat to the nation’s democracy.
According to him, the bar shall also take up the matter to ensure that any person(s) including the police officers, who may be found complicit in the events leading to the arrest of the lawyers, is sanctioned for any possible abuse of office, the statement added.