The Lagos Commissioner of Police and his team were greeted with an uproar when they arrived at the venue for an #EndPoliceBrutality protest organized by lawyers.
In an X post, a lawyer, Kelechukwu Uzoka, shared that the Commissioner’s presence was met with an immediate uproar from the legal community. To establish their displeasure, the lawyers initially refused to give the CP audience.
Renowned lawyer Mr Femi Falana, however, intervened by urging his colleagues to allow the Commissioner and his team to address the gathering. Concluding, @KcUzoka said, “Hope it will not end in just press releases”.
The Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) organised the protest following a recent incident involving Olumide Sonubi. The lawyer was assaulted and detained by the police while seeking bail for a client. Lagos State Divisional Police Officer Austin Arase accused him of assaulting a police officer and disrespecting officers during the bail negotiation, leading to his two-night stay in a cell and subsequent hospitalization.
Olumide Sonubi hospitalized after police detention
Following the incident, lawyers expressed deep concern about the alleged abuse of power by some police officers, echoing previous incidents such as the shooting of Mrs Bolanle Raheem in 2022.
In a statement to members on Wednesday, NBA Lagos branch Secretary Emuobonuvie Alfred Majemite said, “The Nigerian Bar Association, in furtherance of its core objectives including promoting the Rule of Law, condemns in toto, these wanton acts of illegality by some presumably unhinged policemen.”
Flipping the coin, netizens have questioned if hypocrisy is not in play, given that the judicial system is grossly faulty and complacent to many injustices in the nation.
A comment under a post about the protest reads: “The brutality will continue as long as judges are aiding and abetting politicians in their quest to grab and stay in power, they should leave the police alone and face the politicians”.
