Sowore: The Court Is Like The Legislative Chambers Where Arrest Cannot Be Made — NBA President, Paul Usoro, SAN

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) has condemned the invasion of the court and violation of her sanctity by armed operatives of the DSS in the attempt to re-arrest Mr.Omoyele Sowore.

The president made this remark in an interview, with Channels TV 10:00 o’clock news on Friday, the president said having armed people go into the well of the court is unheard of.

It is a desecration of the hallowed grounds of the court. Citing example with the fact that arrest cannot be made in the legislative chambers, he said the court is like that too. He mentioned further that a court is a place where rule of law ought to be observed but the act of the DSS shows disregard for the rule of law.

When asked whether there is a choice in obeying court orders by the executive, the learned silk said no. He said though obeying the court orders sometimes may be discomforting but there is no choice than to obey. He said:

“the government that disobeys court orders erodes its moral authority to enforce orders. And when we are talking about enforcing orders we are not even talking about the government enforcing even court orders, we are talking about enforcing court orders generally. For example, even having to tell people to pay tax what rights do you have as a government to expect the citizens to obey the orders you make when you yourself by setting a terrible example in disobeying court orders.”

The learned silk said the appropriate procedure is to appeal against such orders if one is not comfortable with them.

“But taking laws into your own hands because certain court order has been made therefore you have to disobey it or you have to set it aside arbitrarily, supposing all of us where to do it that way where do you think the Nigerian nation would be?” The learned silk asked. He then said there would be anarchy in such path, therefore, the government had a responsibility to keep law and order and in facts is its primary responsibility and the only way it can do that is by it setting the example in obeying law and order

He added that:

“Actually going into a courtroom to effect an arrest, that is horrible, it should not be spoken of, that any agency of government has done something like that. I believe that the Nigerian Nation deserves an apology from the DSS for what they had done today in court. It is not only a disgrace to the agency that did it, but it is also actually an embarrassment to us as a nation”

Paul SAN concluded that if they had reason to arrest Sowore, they should have waited outside. He said he doesn’t know the reason why the DSS arrested Sowore but is the process of the arrest that is horrifying. Nigerian as a self-acclaimed democratic state ought to observe the rule of law.