The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), has secured the release of the Abakaliki Branch chairman of the NBA, Mr. Pius Awoke, from the custody Department of State Security (DSS).
A statement on Sunday by the National Publicity Secretary of the NBA, Mr Akorede Lawal, said the leadership of the NBA got to know of the arrest and detention of Mr Awoke by the DSS in 2021 on an allegation of terrorism, some few weeks ago.
Through the concerted efforts of the NBA leadership, Mr. Awoke was released alongside his cousin, one Onyiba Emmanuel Chinonso, a final year student of computer studies at the Ebonyi State University who was arrested and detained with Mr. Awoke since 2021.
Alongside the General Secretary, Adesina Adegbite, 2nd Vice President, Clement Chukwuemeka, the National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Lawal and the Welfare Secretary, Chinyere Obasi, the NBA President formally received Mssrs Awoke and Onyibo at the NBA National Secretariat on 22nd June 2024.
In his brief remarks, the statement said the NBA President thanked the Chairman of the Minna Branch of the NBA, Mr. Mohammed Waziri, who was delegated to physically interface with the DSS, and who took custody of Mssrs. Awoke and Onyibo upon their release in Minna on 21 June 2024.
On his part, Mr. Awoke thanked the NBA leadership for being responsible for his release.
The statement quoted him as saying, “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, Lawal said, the association 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”.
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