The Nigeria Bar Association, Awka Branch, has condemned the assault on a lawyer by operatives of the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra task force and has called on the state government and relevant security agencies to investigate the incident.
The task force is a state-run enforcement body responsible for environmental sanitation, enforcement of government cleanliness policies and maintenance of order across the state.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Publicity Secretary of the NBA, Awka Branch, Michael Ozojiofor, said the incident occurred on Monday at the Eke-Awka Market in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
According to him, the lawyer, identified as Charles Ifeanyi, was brutalised by operatives of the task force, including men of the Agunaechemba security outfit, over what he described as a false allegation that the lawyer interfered with their enforcement exercise.
Ozojiofor said videos attached to the statement showed the moment the lawyer was dragged into the task force vehicle while traders and passers-by recorded the incident.
He added that the images and videos clearly showed the condition of the lawyer after the attack.
“The pictures and videos depict the face of the lawyer, Barrister Charles Ifeanyi, who was beaten by the operatives without any justifiable reason,” he said.
Ozojiofor stated that when members of the NBA Human Rights Committee arrived at the task force office, the operatives claimed they were carrying out an enforcement exercise and that the lawyer challenged them.
“He was locked up in their cell alongside his brother, who came to inquire about what transpired,” he said.
According to the NBA spokesman, the operatives denied the human rights team access to the lawyer and threatened to detain them as well.
“That is the level of impunity that has been witnessed and meted out to innocent residents for a long time,” he said.
He further stated that some operatives openly suggested that the lawyers should also be treated in the same manner.
Ozojiofor said the association had drawn the attention of the state Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, and the Nigeria Police Force to what he described as persistent lawlessness.
“The branch condemns the actions of the task force and will take steps to ensure that those responsible face the consequences of their actions,” he said.
Speaking on the incident, the affected lawyer, Charles Ifeanyi, said it occurred between 3 pm and 5 pm at Ezenwa Plaza in Eke-Awka Market.
He said, “I was at the market when some officials were confiscating a trader’s goods. As the goods were falling, the trader followed them pleading, and suddenly one of the officials slapped him heavily.
“I only asked why the trader was slapped when he did nothing wrong. Immediately, about 15 of them descended on me and started beating me.”
Ifeanyi said he hit his head on the pavement during the assault and was later handcuffed and dragged into their vehicle.
“They bundled me into the vehicle like a criminal and seized the phones of people recording the incident,” he said.
He added that men of the Agunaechemba later joined in beating him before he was taken to their detention facility in Awka.
“They locked me up for several hours and released me late at night. I sustained injuries to my body and head. I just returned from Amaku Hospital, where I carried out medical tests, the results of which are yet to be released,” he said.
He disclosed that petitions had been submitted to the Commissioner of Police and copied to the Commissioner for Environment, who supervises the task force.
Reacting, the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, confirmed the incident.
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“Although it was wrong for anyone to be manhandled, I spoke with the commander, who said the lawyer challenged the enforcement team. Investigation will, however, be carried out,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Environment, Felix Odimegwu, were unsuccessful as calls and messages to his phone were not returned as of the time of filing this report.