The Nigerian Bar Association on Sunday 9th of October 2016 declared a state of emergency on legal profession as a result of the unlawful arrest and detention of two justices (Justice Sylvester Ngwuta and Justice Okoro) of the supreme Court, and the judges of the federal high Court Abuja, Gombe, and Port Harcourt, Rivers state. The President of NBA, Mr abubakar Mamoud,( san ) in his address to newsmen in Lagos stated "DSS has been carrying out raids in the houses of justices of the supreme Court and those judges of the federal high court in Abuja, Gombe, and Port Harcourt, Rivers state".
" Some family members of the judges were manhandled, we gathered that the raid were carried out at 2am ".
"We condemn the raids in the strongest possible terms, we are in a Democratic society and we cannot A a situation where armed masked DSS operatives invade the home of the the justices of the supreme Court and justices of our high Court's".
"This is a ploy by the executive to intimidate the judiciary and we will not accept it. The NBA will not accept it".
"I want to emphasis again that we are not under military rule and we cannot accept the Gestapo style of operation ".
"First, the NBA demand the immediate and unconditional release of the justices of the supreme Court still being held by the DSS without further delay".
"The DSS should limit itself to its constitutional duties and responsibilites".
"We demand that president Muhammad Buhari should call his security agencies to order as this kind of practiceis is not acceptable under a Democratic rule".
"If there are issues affecting judicial officers, there are established processes and procedures for handling them and we demand that these constitutional process must be obeyed ".
"I have declared a state of emergency on the legal profession over the matter and I have invited past Presidents and Secretary Generals of the association".
" I have also set up a crisis team which shall consist of past Presidents and Secretary Generals of the association to follow up on the matter".
Asked whether the association will immediately embark on court boycott over the arrest and detention of judicial officers by the executive arm of government, hw said members should allow the leaders handle the matter, while awaiting any further directives as maybe necessary.
He also discountenanced suggestions that there might be ethnic and religious colouration to the arrest detention and harresment of the judicial officers.
"I have been in touch with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN on phone over the developmen. We will go to any extent to ensure that the rule of law is followed in the way things are done in the country". :reports: vanguardng.
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