The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Kano Branch, has condemned what it described as unlawful arrest and harassment of its members by police officers, urging the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to intervene.
This is contained in a statement signed by the branch chairman, Mr Usman Umar Fari, on Tuesday in Kano.
According to the statement, two lawyers were arrested in September by police officers who allegedly acted unlawfully.
It said that on Sept. 19, one of the lawyers, Mr Mohammad Bashir Adam, was arrested while carrying out his professional duties.
“Despite presenting his NBA and workplace identification cards, Adam was handcuffed and dragged into a police vehicle in the presence of his clients.
“He was later released after the police admitted it was a case of mistaken identity,” the statement said.
It further explained that on Sept. 22, another lawyer, Mr Uba Sani Hamza, was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre at Norman’s Land Magistrate Court in Kano.
According to the NBA, Hamza was later taken to Abuja on the grounds that he shared a surname with a suspect accused of insulting government officials on social media and for having contact with a client wanted by the police.
“These incidents represent a disturbing pattern of human rights violations under the leadership of the Inspector General of Police,” the statement added.
The association called for Hamza’s immediate release and urged the Federal Government to take responsibility for his safety and welfare.
It stressed that the NBA would continue to advocate for the protection of lawyers’ rights and the rule of law in the country.