The Nigerian Bar Association and the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, on Saturday, berated the police over the arrest of three lawyers in the state.

Cole lamented that the lawyers were working on his election petitions to be filed at the tribunal when the police arrested them and went away with the evidence. He added that five support staff of the party were also arrested by the policemen.

It was gathered that the lawyers, Jerry Aondo, Dr Sobere Nelson, and Odum Eyiba, who are from the chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Tuduru Ede, were arrested on Friday night at a hotel they lodged in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The arrest came 48 hours after Cole led the party executives to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission to protest against refusal to him release Certified True Copies of documents used for the election as ordered by the court.

Confirming the arrest in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Cole described development as a rude awakening, saying the policemen took materials belonging to the lawyers.

He stated, “This is a rude awakening. I was woken up this morning with frantic calls 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 to the hotel, they have gone. When I found out where they were taken to, I was told they were taken to the intelligence and surveillance unit in Ogbunabali.

“I, 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 had been transferred to the state CID (Criminal Investigation Department).

“I have never heard lawyers preparing a petition that is time-bound being arrested. More worrisome 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 being taken away. Now the opposition knows exactly what we want to argue. I am in shock.”

He said the arrest wouldn’t stand, as he alleged that the police were being used to truncate the petition being prepared by the party.

He added, “I feel that the police are being used to scuttle us. We already have evidence of the police being used in the hijack of electoral materials on election day. The Inspector-General of Police must caution them.”

The SAN also described the situation was unbelievable as he blamed the hotel for compromise. He added, “All in a way of scuttling the petitions. They took away all the EC8 papers and copies of election results we have collated from the agents. We are asking that all the arrested persons should be released. We believe our stay there was compromised by the staff of the hotel.”

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, proved abortive as her mobile phone was switched off. She had yet to reply to a text message sent to her as of the time of filing this report.

NBA fumes

Meanwhile, the NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), in a statement on Saturday vowed to take legal action against the police officers who arrested the lawyers.

“The Nigerian Bar Association strongly condemns such unwarranted harassment of lawyers in the lawful performance of their professional duties to their clients,” Maikyau stated.

He said although police authorities had assured him of their release, the NBA would ensure that those involved in the lawyers’ arrest faced the law.

The statement added, “It was reported that the trio who practice in Mr Tuduru Ede, SAN’s, law firm in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, were working on a petition for the All Progressives Congress against the declaration by INEC in the just concluded governorship 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. Situations where the instrumentality of the police is apparently being used to harass and intimidate lawyers, is a direct affront to the rule of law and a threat to our democracy; 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 and the Commissioner of Police, 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.”

He said he would stay in touch with Ede on the matter.

Falana speaks

There are indications that the lawyers may be arraigned before a magistrate’s court on Monday, Sunday PUNCH learnt on Saturday.

A source told one of our correspondents that “items seized from them included laptops and exhibits required for their petition’s defence, such as agent’s copy of form EC8, CTC of INEC documents”.

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, said the three lawyers would be arraigned on Monday.

He said, “I have just confirmed that the police will drag the detained lawyers to a Magistrate’s Court on Monday, January 3, and charge them with 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”.