by By Elijah Ugani – Calabar
A right lawyer, Mr. First Baba Isa has petitioned the President of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA, Mr. Paul Usoro requesting the association to urgently protect the rights of lawyers who are currently being harassed, intimidated and detained for performing the constitutional rights.
In the pettitio addressed to Mr. Paul Usoro SAN, Mr. Isa averred that “I don’t know that to get a favorable judgement for my client is now an offense. Sir as our president, you didn’t send us any circular to this effect. If you had told me, I wouldn’t have done it. I wouldn’t have gotten a favorable judgment for my client. Now my accounts are frozen, I can’t fend for my family, I can’t go to court to defend my clients and they are threatening to arrest and detain me just ad they have arrested and detained our learned friends”
Read full text of the petition.
“Sir, a few hours ago I told my story: a story of how I got a valid court judgement in favour of my client. A story of how this judgment apparently went against the plans and dreams of ICPC. A story of how because of this ICPC is hunting me down like a wanted terrorist.
“Please, Sir, I crave your indulgence to read the full story, with all documentary attachments by clicking on this link https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10160002509834408&id=725834407.
“Learned Silk, Sir, attached is a certified true copy of both the record of proceedings and the judgment order. You will see that the ICPC, as 2nd and 3rd Respondents, were fully represented in court on the day we adopted our terms of settlement with GTB, the 1st Respondent.
“ICPC took this judgment to their office and sat on appeal on it. In their illegal appellate jurisdiction, they ruled that the judgement was obtained by fraud and they rearrested my client and freeze all our accounts… Learned Silk, the shocker is that they also arrested the GTB lawyer in this suit.
“Sir, as I write this, a lawyer, Nsikak Udoh, Esq., who only represented his client in court is in ICPC custody. He has been in detention for over 8 days.
“ICPC did not appeal the judgement. ICPC did not approach the court to set the judgement aside if indeed there have any evidence it was obtained by fraud, they just started arresting lawyers on the case. Sir, our Learned Friend is in detention and I’m being hunted because we are lawyers, because we did our job.
“I didn’t know that to get a favourable judgement for my client is now an offence. Sir, as our president, you didn’t send us any circular to this effect. If you had told me I wouldn’t have done it: I wouldn’t have gotten a favourable judgement for my client. Now, my accounts are frozen, I can’t fend for my family, I cant go to court to represent my clients and they are threatening to arrest and detain me just as they have arrested and detained our learned friend.
“I know many things are wrong in this country, but I never imagined a day will come when lawyers will be arrested, detained and harassed because they got a valid court judgement that offended security agencies”
Sir, oh Sir…
F. Baba Isa, Esq.,
Principal Partner,
FBI LEGAL, Abuja.
07037162029 (WhatsApp only);
fbilegalfirm@gmail.com
