The Nigerian Bar Association has sent a strong warning to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, insisting that it would not tolerate harassment and intimidation of lawyers who are carrying out their constitutional roles.
The NBA Garki Branch Chairman, Barrister Obioma Ezenwobodo made the position known while reacting to the harassment of an Abuja based constitutional lawyer, Chief Felix Edewor who was phisically assaulted by an operative of the EFCC , Mr. Mohammed Mohammed over a matter involving the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN Cooperative Society.
The NBA chairman expressed dissapointment that an officer of the law would take the law into his hands and resort to phisical assualt on a lawyer carrying out his job.
He said the NBA had been inundated with similar reports of attacks on lawyers, stressing that enough was enough.
“We condemn the action of the EFCC agent. We have been having such reports by our members against security agents
“It is condemnable because the lawyer was carrying out his duty as an attorney. Every security agent ought to know that a lawyer is not the accused.
“A lawyer is there to assist the justice system to get to the root of the matter . He is not out to frustrate the process, rather, he there to ensure that the human rights of the accused are protected and that they are given fair hearing”
Mr Ezenwobodo maintained that “these are constitutional provisions so where a security agancy, in this case the EFCC harasses a lawyer, it is condemnable and an action can be taken against such an officer”
“So what happened, we are against it, we will stand with our member to see that justice is done because it is a threat to our own profession. We have every right to carry out our profession, without intimidation or harassment from anybody. That is our position” he concluded.
The Abuja based constitutional lawyer, Chief Felix Edewor who was harassed had dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to court over the physical assault on him by the operative of the commission, Mr. Mohammed Mohammed, last year.
The EFCC official , Mohammed, pounced on Chief Edewor, slapped him severally when he went to the commission to request for the sum of N14 million belonging to the FRCN Headquarters staff cooperative society being held by the agancy.
Counsel to Chief Felix Edewor, Dr. Emeka Obegolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, in his originating summons, argued that the act by the EFCC and its official was an infringement of the fundamental human Rights of the lawyer.
The case has been scheduled for hearing at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on 7th March.
