LAGOS APRIL 2ND (URHOBOTODAY)-THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Warri branch, Tuesday petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the horrific murder of two of their colleagues last Friday and asked that justice be done to the case.
The lawyers were ambushed and killed on their way to court by armed men. The association, in a statement yesterday signed by Ben Oji and S.G. Ediagbonuvie, chairman and publicity secretary, expressed dismay over the worrisome situation in which their defenseless colleagues, Horace Eguono Diafioghor and Samuel Ekwuaghanju, were assassinated along the busy Ughelli/Oleh road in Delta State.
In the statement, the Warri NBA pointed accusing fingers at the police, who its members claimed, were always threatening the deceased to withdraw from the defense of an accused person.
The NBA said the two lawyers were defense counsels to an accused person who was standing trial before the High Court in Ozoro, for the alleged kidnap of the son of the Secretary to the State Government, Comrade Uvuzorie Macaulay.
The association maintained that on the fateful day, the case was fixed for ruling at 12 noon in respect of an application filed by Dafioghor and in view of that, the court waited till about 2 pm and when the defense counsel did not show up, the judge delivered the ruling.
“In this circumstance, it would appear that Dafioghor, who was driving in his car was ambushed, moved from the major road the side road and brought out of the car with Samuel Ekwuaghanju, and they were shot at close range”, the statement read.
The body, while claiming that their colleagues were assassinated, pointed out that Diafioghor had repeatedly complained about threats to his life and warnings to withdraw from the case, adding that some of these threats were traced to the police.
“This dastardly act cannot be allowed to go like that; it is sad indeed that a lawyer could be killed for providing legal representation to a party in a case. Such an action is probably intended to frighten and intimidate lawyers, it would not succeed.” The NBA Warri vowed to liaise with the national secretariat of the body to ensure that justice is done.
Source: Guardian