From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Osogbo branch, Osun State, Wednesday kicked over the arrest of its member, Temitope Oyedipe, by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Publicity Secretary of the branch, Dawood Ajetunmobi, in a statement made available to newsmen, said the NBA would do everything legally to fight the operative of the EFCC over the matter.
The NBA explained that the operative of the EFCC stormed Ile-Ife high court and arrested its member who had appeared in court to hold a brief for his colleague in a garnishee proceeding pending in the court.
The legal adviser of the association, Idrees Abiodun Mikaheel, and a counsel, Nurudeen Kareem, have been assigned to proceed to the Commission’s office in Lagos while the Chairman of the Branch, Hassan Agbelekale, has also contacted the Lagos and Ikeja Branches of the NBA for possible synergies to ensure the counsel is timely released.
“When the committee inquired from the EFCC operatives via a telephone call, it was confirmed that Oyedipe was indeed arrested ‘when he could not give satisfactory information about the suit in which he appeared’, though he held a counsel’s brief.
“The said substantive counsel and his client in the garnishee proceeding were said to be the targets of the operatives, but the duo were not present in court, and Oyedipe held the lawyer’s brief as agreed between them.
“So far, the counsel, Oyedipe is still in the office of the EFCC, Ikoyi Lagos. The Branch has put every mechanism in motion to ensure his release as soon as practicable.
“While consultations are ongoing with the leaders of the Association in Nigeria with a view to taking a collective but deterring decision on this condemnable act, the Branch calls on the EFCC to immediately release Mr. Temitope Oyedipe unconditionally,” the statement added.