It was drama on Thursday at the High Court of Justice Otuocha in the Anambra Judicial Division of Anambra State where the men of Nigeria Police was caught on camera assaulting a defendant in the court premises.
The police drama according to an eye witness, B. C Udemezue Esq. started the moment Honourable Justice Onunkwo of Court No. 2 finished proceedings in the criminal case involving the victim wherein it was reported to the judge that the complainant was repeatedly harassing and attacking the Defendant.
According to the Defendant, the Complainant has mastered the act of always using the police to arrest and rearrest him over the same dispute which borders principally on land.
Barrister B. C Udemezue Esq. informed BarristerNG that “the judge threatened to remand the complainant when the complainant could not give a reasonable explanation for incessantly arresting the Defendant but later stayed himself.”
He further stated that the Court while adjourning the matter “made an order that nobody should arrest the Defendant again in the matter between him and the Complainant until the court concludes the trial”
However “Just a few minutes after the court adjourned the case, the same complainant stepped out and called some policemen he came to court with and they moved to arrest the defendant.
victim
“The resistance put up by the defendant attracted attention, and lawyers urged the police to obey the court order just made but they refused. The judge himself sent his own orderly to call the team leader but the team leader refused to answer the judge. When some lawyers confronted the police, they threatened to shoot them, two of the policemen cocked their rifles.
“It took the doggedness of the court security man, to wrestle the Defendant from their hand and the Defendant ran into the court with one hand inside a handcuff. This forced both the admin Judge. Hon. Justice H. O. Ozoh and Hon Justice Onunkwo of Court 2 to rise abruptly.
Among the lawyers that witnessed the drama in court are; M. C. Eze Esq. Counsel to the victim, S. I. Nworie Esq., Innocent Anekwe, Esq., Ikenna Izuegbulem (the police threatened to shoot him), M. F. Uzoigwe, Esq., Vitus Jimeh, Esq., B. C. Udemezue Esq., E M Nenna, Esq., U. O. Uguru, Esq., P. C. Mba, Esq.
In the heat of this development, Hon. Justice Onunkwo has challenged the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA to do something about the unfortunate incident.
Udemezue further noted that it was later discovered that “the Policemen involved in the charade came from 3-3 Police Station Nkwelle- Ezunaka and they were led by the current DCO of the division.”
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