By John Austin Unachukwu
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the arrest and detention of one of its members, Mr. Onari Taylor Harry by officers of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Abuja Monitoring Team and called for his immediate release
The NBA stated this in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olakunle Edun.
It said: “The Nigerian Bar Association confirms the arrest of one our members from Degema branch, Mr. Onari Taylor Harry by officers from the IGP Monitoring Squad, Abuja in connection with a seven-day notice that he issued. Mr. Harry was arrested on the 28th of January, 2019.
“The NBA has reached out to the Chairman of the Degema branch, Eucharia Pepple and she confirmed the development.
“According to the Degema Chairman of the NBA, Mr Harry was briefed by some persons in respect of the property of their deceased father, to issue a seven-day notice and serve same on the occupants of the property.
“The said deceased owner of the property also has children resident in Abuja and it was the children based in Abuja that procured the IGP Monitoring Team to arrest our colleague.
“As at this moment, there is no evidence of Mr. Harry having committed any offence nor was he informed of the offence he committed before he was arrested at his home.”
The NBA condemned “this show of impunity and disregard for the fundamental rights of our colleague by the police officers involved.”
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It said the Police had no legal basis to arrest a lawyer who only performed his professional duties to his clients.
“There is no law that criminalises the issuance of quit notice in Nigeria,” it said, adding that it considers recurring incidents of police harrsament of lawyers as an act of intimidation.
“The NBA recalls the various press releases published by the Nigerian Police Force on the rules of engagement of its officials, one of which is that Police officers must not be involved in patently civil matters.
“Unfortunately, the officers involved in this case have deliberately flouted the advisory of the Nigerian Police Force by allowing themselves to be used to settle civil scores, that have no criminal coloration.
The NBA also finds it worrying that Mr. Harry, who is said not to be well to the knowledge of the Policemen, was still taken away by the Policemen and subjected to indignity and torture at the Police Station.”
It sad it had confirmed that Mr. Harry had been taken to Abuja by the Police and made to undergo the “horrendous journey by road to Abuja.
“Members are informed that the NBA President, Paul Usoro SAN and the General Secretary, Jonathan Taidi have already made premininary contacts and assures all that arrangements are in place to effect the release of our colleague upon arrival in Abuja”.
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