NBA Oleh Branch Decries Incessant Attacks On Lawyers And Law Firms, Tasks Security Agents To Be Alert

The Oleh branch of The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has decried the incessant robbery and burglary against her members and their Law firms due to the appalling state of insecurity in the area.

The assertions were contained in a communiqué issued on 5th day of August, 2019 in her 99th regular meeting held at Irri Town in Delta State.

According to the communique signed by the Chairman of the Branch, Sunny Adolor Esq, the branch listed out the names of her members that were invaded by the hoodlums within a specific time.
The following members had their Chambers burgled at one point or the other.

According to the information disclosed, on the 7th day of June, 2019, Chief Benedict Owonye’s office was invaded. Properties worth millions of Naira were vandalised and carted away.

The Law Office of R. Igelige, Esq., was also burgled and the perpetrators of the heinous crime wilfully and maliciously destroyed furniture, before carting away office equipment.

Also, the Law firm of the Branch’s Vice Chairman, F. O. Obasohan was also invaded within the period. As if Lawyers in the jurisdiction have been marked as endangered species for humiliation, Barrister Ndukwe’s Law Office located at Kwale also tasted the venom of the criminals. Most recent was the burglary and vandalism of the Law Office of the immediate past secretary, Richard Akpoghalino, Esq. on the 20th, August, 2019.

The communique proceeding from the meeting however, noted that the branch has unanimously resolved as follows:

“That worried by these inexorable unprovoked attacks by criminally-minded elements, the branch whose membership cut across two senatorial districts, to-wit : Isoko South and North, and Ndokwa West and East Local Government Areas, unanimously passed a motion calling on the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Area Command, Ozoro, Divisional Police Officers of all the above mentioned LGAs and security architecture in the jurisdiction to wake up and tackle security challenges bedevilling the area.

“That the incessant attack on law firms by hoodlums is a deliberate organized crime calculated to cow Lawyers from practising their legitimate profession.

“Members are puzzled and it beats their imagination that offices of lawyers who do not keep money in them, except case files that belongs to clients, be subject of attacks by these miscreants.

“It is equally baffling and more worrisome that none of the mean, heartless perpetrators of this heinous criminal acts has been apprehended by the Nigeria police or other security agencies whose constitutional responsibility is to protect lives and property of the citizenry, thereby having a field day to continue with sense of impunity.

“Community leaders, including traditional rulers who are chief security officers in their respective domain should be alert to security breaches and to report same to the police.

“As security matter is everyone’s business, residents and security stakeholders should wake up to their civic responsibility of reporting crime and criminals in their respective neighbourhood to security agents.”

Members should also read riot act to criminally minded elements in the jurisdiction and Delta State at large to desist forthwith from their nefarious activities before the long arm of the law caught up with them.