- Accuses NBA of wasting hundreds of millions of Naira on bar conferences
Rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana has said judges and legal practitioners in Nigeria should be held responsible for the impunity exhibited by law enforcement agencies over time in the country.
A thoroughly piqued Falana in a statement revealed that all his efforts to get the human rights Committees of the over 128 branches of the NBA to mobilise Chief Magistrates and accompany them to the police stations have proved abortive.
The statement reads:
“Lawyers and judges are to blame for the impunity of law enforcement officers in Nigeria. Two laws require Chief Magistrates to conduct monthly visits to all police stations while Judges designated by the CJ of FHC are to visit all other detention facilities in the country.
“During the visit, suspects may be released, granted bail, or ordered to be arraigned in the appropriate courts.
“All my efforts to get the human rights Committees of the over 128 branches of the NBA (in the 36 states and FCT) to mobilise CMs and accompany them to the police stations have proved abortive.
“When the CJ of FHC turned down my request to designate judges to conduct the monthly visits I sued him. The case has been subjected to unending adjournments since it is not a political case!
“However, I am convinced that the antigraft agencies and other security agencies would have been forced to stop illegal arrest and primitive investigation of suspects if lawyers and judges have ensured the implementation of section 34 of ACJA and section 70 of the Police Establishment Act.
“Every year we waste hundreds of millions of Naira to organise wasteful annual bar conferences and law week programmes at the expense of the liberty of our generality of our people.”
Femi Falana,SAN
8/12/2022
