EFCC Releases Detained Lawyer As NBA Members Protest In Oyo

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released a lawyer, Phillip Tunji Ojo, who was detained in its facility in Oyo State for the last 24 hours.

Ojo’s release was confirmed by the Ibadan NBA Chairman, Ibrahim Lawal, who, on ChannelsTV, stated the arrest was illegal and unlawful detention.

Ojo’s release also came after members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had staged a protest showing dissatisfaction with the unlawful arrests of their colleague.

Lawal, however, stated the protest became necessary to show their dissatisfaction with what he called the illegal and unlawful detention of the lawyer during his duty and to end the constant harassment of lawyers by the EFCC.

The protest that led to Ojo’s release was demonstrated early on Thursday morning at the Iyaganku zonal office of the EFCC to register their agitation.

Before his release, Lawal reportedly stated that some of the overzealous officers were hostile to him and his team. Still, Ojo was eventually released following the intervention of the Zonal Director of the Commission, Hauwa Garba Ringim.

After his release, the EFCC Zonal Director appealed for calm and called for greater synergy between the bar and the commission in the fight against corruption without stating the cause of the arrest.

Meanwhile, one of the protesting lawyers, Adedeji Falujo, told Punch Newspaper that the case involved a human rights suit filed against a yet-to-be-identified official of the EFCC. The commissionalso denied reports of harassment of protesting lawyers.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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