The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has sent a strong warning to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), 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, stated this in a statement while reacting to alleged harassment of an Abuja based constitutional lawyer, Chief Felix Edewor.
Chief Edewor was allegedly physically assaulted by an operative of the EFCC over a matter involving the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, (FRCN) Cooperative Society.
The NBA chairman expressed disappointment that an officer of the law would take the law into his hands and resort to physical assault 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 giving fair hearing,” he said.
Mr Ezenwobodo maintained that “these are constitutional provisions so where a security agency, 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 EFCC to court over the physical assault on him by the operative of the commission.
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 March 7, 2023.
