Lawyers in Imo State yesterday continued their protest in Owerri, the state capital over the killing of the judge in charge of Ejemekwuru Customary Court in Oguta local government area, Justice Nnaemeka Ugboma. The lawyers had on Monday shut down the courts in the state to express their grievances.
Marching from the Bar Centre on the Owerri-Orlu Road in Owerri, the lawyers dressed in black attire, carrying placards with various inscriptions.
The chairman of the Owerri branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrister Ugochukwu Alinor, with four other branch chairmen of the NBA in the state, condemned Ugboma’s murder.
He stressed that the protest was to charge security agents in the state to live up to their responsibilities in protecting lives and property in the state.
Alinor called on the government to provide adequate security arrangements within the court premises and for the fencing of all courts in the state.
The chairman called on the police to swiftly apprehend the killers of the judge as well as those who beheaded the sole administrator of Ideato North local government area, Hon Chris Ohizu.
In his contribution, Barrister Chuks Agbugba, highlighted that the murder of the jurist was a threat to justice dispensation in the state. He called on the police to leave “Yahoo Boys” and concentrate on the core security issue of protecting lives and property.
Another lawyer, Tony Ephraim, who spoke to newsmen at the entrance of the state Police Command headquarters, decried what he called the constant killing of lawyers in the state.
“We are here to protest the constant killing of lawyers in Imo State and attack on court facilities. The other time, a former chairman of the bar was killed in his office. A lawyer was also killed in Orlu and now we are talking about the killing of a magistrate in his court,” he lamented.
In his comment, Barrister Emeka Ihejirika stressed that they will not leave the venue until the state commissioner of police addresses them.
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