SOWORE: CJN, AGF must act to check further court invasion by DSS, others —Adegboruwa

A human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) on Saturday asked the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Mohammed and the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to stop further invasion of the court by the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agents.

The lawyer in a statement in Lagos on Saturday, urged the duo to take necessary steps to protect judge and lawyers from further courts invasion.

The DSS operatives had on Friday stormed the Federal High Court, Abuja, and whisked the convener of the #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, back to the secret police custody.

The duo were re-arrested barely 24 hours after they were released on the order of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu.

Adegboruwa said: “A meeting with the CJN and AGF to consult on possible steps to be taken to protect judges and the courts from further invasion.

“As it was happening in Abuja, so also was it happening in the Federal High Court in Lagos, where it was reported that members of the Lagos State Environmental Task Force stormed the court and even stabbed an officer of the court.

“The purpose of this meeting is to secure the courts with a functional police post as is done in the National Assembly and even Houses of Assembly in the states.

Read also: SOWORE: DSS invasion of court confirms Nigeria sliding into frightening dictatorship— PDP

“To ensure that the DSS is made to account for the events of December 6, 2019.

“To also meet with the leadership of the National Assembly, the Committees on Judiciary and Human Rights and Law Enforcement with a view to getting the DSS to be brought to the book.

“To demand the immediate disengagement of the present leadership of the DSS and all its officers involved in the invasion.

“To meet with the AG of Lagos State to unravel the invasion of Lagos court and bring those involved to book.

“To visit CJ of Federal High Court and Hon Jus Ojukwu for solidarity and consultations.

“Henceforth, let the Bar get its members who are involved in any government to be held accountable for any breach of the rule of law by the government and its officers and agencies.

“In any state where there is glaring disobedience of the order of court or brazen infraction of the Constitution, the AG of that state should be referred to the LPDC and if he’s a SAN, also to the LPPC.

“The same should happen to the AGF when it involves the federal government and its agencies.

“Then the counsel involved in such cases for the government should be held accountable by the NBA and the Bar generally and be suspended forthwith.

Unless we act swiftly and urgently now, there seems to be more ahead, in the coming days.”

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