The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has secured the release of a legal practitioner, Pius Awoke, after he had spent three years in the detention cell of the Department of State Services, DSS.
Awoke, who belongs to the Abakaliki, Ebonyi State Branch of the NBA, was arrested and detained since 2021 by DSS operatives on an allegation of terrorism.
The legal body, in a statement it made available to journalists on Sunday, stated that Awoke was arrested and detained alongside his cousin, one Onyiba Emmanuel Chinonso, who was a final year student of Computer Studies at Ebonyi State University.
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The statement, which was signed by the NBA National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Lawal, said the NBA National President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, knew about their prolonged detention without trial, recently.
Following their eventual release from custody, both Awoke and his cousin were received at the National Secretariat of the NBA in Abuja by the leadership of the association, yesterday, Saturday, June 22.
Those that were on ground to receive them included the NBA President, Maikaya, SAN, the General Secretary, Adesina Adegbite, 2nd Vice President, Clement Chukwuemeka, the National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Habeeb Lawal and the Welfare Secretary, Chinyere Obasi.
In his brief remarks, the NBA President thanked the Chairman of Minna Branch of the association, Mr. Mohammed Waziri, who was delegated to physically interface with the DSS to ensure the release of the detainees.
The NBA President revealed that the DSS handed over the duo to Mr. Waziri at Minna, last Friday, June 21.
On his part, Mr. Awoke thanked the NBA leadership for being responsible for his release.
He said: “I was left with no hope. I only hoped in God. I did not know that the NBA was taking any steps to get me out. The NBA has not just secured the release of a lawyer, but you have saved the life of a lawyer.”
“While the NBA is relieved that Mr. Awoke has regained his freedom, the NBA is committed to interrogating the circumstances that led to his arrest and detention for such a long period without arraignment.
“The NBA decries incidents of long detention of citizens without charge by law enforcement agencies as a breach of citizens’ fundamental right to fair hearing and personal liberty, and we reiterate our commitment to the protection of these fundamental rights,” the statement added.
