ACTIVIST lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Cole and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba to unconditionally order the release of three lawyers who were arrested in Port Harcourt yesterday.
They also requested the release of items seized from the lawyers.
Reports had it that the lawyers were arrested by the Police at a hotel they lodged in, in Port Harcourt while putting together a petition with the support of the APC members.
The arrested lawyers who are practicing in the Chamber of Tuduru Ede, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN based in Rivers, were identified as Jerry Aondo, Dr. Sobere Nelson and Odum Eyiba.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also confirmed the arrest of the lawyers to Rhythm 93.7fm, a Port Harcourt.
It was gathered that the lawyers and other arrested APC members were first taken to the Police Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Ogumnabali, Port Harcourt after they were arrested.
Rivers State APC Spokesperson Mr. Darlington Nwauju also confirmed the arrest.
Falana said the lawyers, Jerry Aondo, from Abuja, Dr. Sobere Nelson and Odum Eyiba are in Port Harcourt to represent the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal holding on Monday.
He believed the lawyers were arrested to forestall the opposition from filing an election petition against the rigging and violence that marred the March 18 governorship election in Rivers State.
The outspoken lawyer listed items seized from the lawyers to include laptops and exhibits required for their petition defence holding on Monday, such as agent’s copy of form EC8 m, CTC of INEC documents.
He said information at his disposal revealed that the lawyers were taken to NPF Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Ogunabali (by Mkt Square) pending their transfer to State CID, Town.
In a statement issued yesterday, Falana further stated: “I have just confirmed that the police will drag the detained lawyers to a Magistrate Court on Monday, April 3, and charge them with the forgery of electoral materials.
“The primary purpose of the latest display of naked power is to frustrate the opposition from filing an election petition against the rigging and violence that marred the March 18 governorship election in Rivers State.
“Since there is no legal justification for the arrest and detention of the lawyers, we are compelled to call on the Inspector-General of Police to order their immediate release.
“The Rivers State Commissioner of Police should publicly apologise to the lawyers.
“Those who claim to have won the governorship election in Rivers State must be prepared to defend their mandate without any intimidation or harassment of lawyers and witnesses”, he stated.
Confirming the arrest, APC governorship candidate in the state, Tonye Cole, said: “I was woken up this morning with a frantic call about 7am, that our lawyers and support staff have been arrested and taken away from the hotel where they lodged.
“By the time I rushed down to the hotel, they were already gone.
“I was told they were taken to the Intelligence and Surveillance Unit in Ogbunabali (Port Harcourt).
‘I and the party agent and our lead counsel went there, and we were kept for over an hour, we didn’t see them, only to be told that they’ve been transferred to the state criminal investigation department.
“I have never heard of lawyers preparing a petition that is time-bound, being arrested. More worrying is that all our evidence was taken away.
“Now, can we trust that evidence when we get it back? The lawyers were writing their brief before they were taken away. Now, the opposition knows exactly what we want to argue. I am in shock,” he noted.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also condemned the arrest the lawyers
NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, described the incident as “unfortunate and disturbing” in a statement issued yesterday by the association’s National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Habeeb-Lawal.
He vowed to push for sanctions against any police officer found to have abused their office in the incident.
The lawyers, Messrs Jerry Aondo, Dr Sobere Nelson, and Odum Eyiba, were putting together the petition in a hotel in the state when they were arrested by the police.
They are representing the governorship candidate of the APC Tonye Cole, who is challenging the outcome of the election which produced Sim Fubara of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as Governor-elect.
Maikyau condemned the use of police officers as tools for contravening the rule of law.
He disclosed that although the police authorities had assured him of their release, the NBA would ensure that those involved in the lawyers’ arrest would face the law.
Maikyau said: “I read the rather unfortunate and disturbing news of the arrest of three of our colleagues, Jerry Aondo, Esq, Dr. Sobere Nelson, and Odum Eyiba, Esq, in Rivers State.
“It was reported that the trio, who all practice in Mr. Tuduru Ede, SAN’s law firm in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was working on a petition for the All Progressives Congress
(APC) against the declaration by INEC in the just concluded gubernatorial election in
the state and were arrested while preparing the petition in a hotel where they secured
rooms and lodged for the purpose of the assignment.
“I have spoken with Mr Tuduru Ede, SAN and he confirmed the incident.
“The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) strongly condemns such unwarranted harassment of lawyers in the lawful performance of their professional duties to their clients..”
The Bar leader warned that situations where the police were “apparently being used to harass and intimidate lawyers, is a direct affront to the rule of law and a threat to our democracy.”
Maikyau added: “it is an invitation to anarchy and chaos, as people would rather resort to self-help than approach the civil and constitutional means provided for the resolution of disputes.
“I reached out to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Commissioner of Police (CP) Rivers State, and I have been assured of the release of our colleagues.
“We shall also take up the matter to ensure that any person(s) including police officers,
who may be found complicit in the events leading to the arrest of our colleagues, is
sanctioned for any possible abuse of office.
“I will continue to talk with Mr Tuduru SAN and shall keep you posted on further
developments in this matter.”
The APC had earlier in a statement raised the alarm of plans by the police to arrest its members.
The statement by the spokesperson, Darlington Nwauju, dated March 31st, reads in part: The All Progressives Congress party in Rivers State has intercepted very credible intelligence of plots by Police authorities in Rivers State, principally coordinated by a few tactical teams under the command (e.g. C4i unit etc), to begin a manhunt for members of the APC in Rivers State, especially our House of Assembly candidates who are determined to reclaim their mandates through Constitutional means in order to frustrate the push to reclaim these stolen mandates at the Election Petitions Tribunal (EPT).
“We wish to warn Police authorities in Rivers State to stop the open display of partisanship which was brought to the fore on the 25th February and 18th March 2023, when the free will of Rivers people to voluntarily pick their representatives and Governor was scuttled by the INEC and the Nigeria Police Force.””