A group of legal practitioners known as Bola Ahmed Tinubu Lawyers, BAT Lawyers, has expressed their displeasure regarding the alleged assault of a lawyer Mr. Ernest Okpaga by some officers of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF.
They are calling on Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the incident.
This call was made at a press conference on Tuesday in Ikeja, Lagos.
BAT Lawyers is a group of Nigerian legal practitioners who supported and believed in the mandate, vision and mission of President Bola Tinubu, as encapsulated in the renewed hope agenda for Nigerians.
Members of the group through Habeebat Bankole-Apena, Esq., Convener, BAT Lawyers alleged that Okpaga, an Abuja-based lawyer, was allegedly assaulted by some officers attached to the NPF-NCCC on December 19, 2024.
According to Bankole-Apena, the group had written a petition to the Police High Command requesting a thorough investigation.
Bankole-Apena alleged that Okpaga was beaten and dragged on the floor by the officers after he resisted being locked up in a room with his client, one Ms. Thomas Abiodun, who had collapsed.
She also alleged that the officers and men of NPF-NCCC hid under anonymity and wore mufti to work which allowed them to unleash terror on their member without any legal justification.
According to her, one ASP Raliat was the Investigating Police Officer.
She then called on the IGP to investigate the matter and discipline the officers involved.
Bankole-Apena said: “It is unfortunate that the actions of a few bad eggs in the Nigeria Police Force are soiling the good works of President Bola Tinubu and his lieutenants, like the Inspector General of Police which is giving this government a bad name.
“We believe that the IGP will take the matter seriously and act expeditiously in the overall interest of our country.
“We also call on the police authorities to take steps to prevent such incidents in the future because we serve as part of change agents in providing the much-needed feedback to government and we are participants in the process of instituting good governance in Nigeria which is a fundamental goal of Mr. President.
“We have called this press conference because we want to hold these men accountable and demonstrate that there are no sacred cows under this government and we believe that the IGP will take the matter seriously and act expeditiously in the overall interest of our country.”
BAT Lawyers also demanded that the necessary machinery for the discipline of those involved be initiated to serve as a lesson to any tyrant in uniform in the county.
“Our member would have been beaten to death if not for the intervention of some other officers who were watching as he was being subjected to inhuman treatment.
“Okpaga informed us that it was upon this intervention that they ceased beating him, took him and his client to the police clinic where they were both treated.
“We believe that the IGP will take the matter seriously and act expeditiously in the overall interest of our country.”
