Legal practitioners in Lagos have taken a stand against police brutality, staging a protest in response to the recent incident involving the detention of Lagos-based lawyer Olumide Sonupe. The demonstration follows Sonupe’s reported two-day detention at Gowon Estate Police Station in Lagos on December 30, 2023, stemming from an alleged assault on a police officer during negotiations.
Expressing condemnation for this incident and other recent cases of harassment and assault by the Nigerian police, hundreds of lawyers gathered at the bar center of the Nigerian Bar Association (Ikeja branch). From there, they marched peacefully to the headquarters of the Lagos State Police Command.
Femi Falana, briefing journalists in Ikeja, highlighted that the five branches of the NBA in Lagos had met with the State Police Commissioner, Adegoke Fayoade. The commissioner assured the lawyers that a thorough investigation into the incident was underway.
Falana stated, “Lawyers in Lagos State decided to come together today to protest against police brutality because of the recent maltreatment meted out to one of our colleagues. We are making a case through him that Nigerian lawyers will no longer allow the brutalization of lawyers and indeed other citizens.”
The lawyers had intended to submit their petition against police brutality to Commissioner Fayoade. However, prior to the protest, Fayoade, having learned of their plans, appeared at the bar center to engage in dialogue with the lawyers and address their concerns. Despite initial protests against his presence, the lawyers, led by Falana and the chairmen of all five NBA branches in Lagos, eventually allowed him to address the gathering before submitting the letter of protest.
Undeterred, the lawyers proceeded with the protest, led by Falana and the NBA branch chairmen, expressing their dissatisfaction with the conduct of the police through solidarity chants. The demonstration serves as a collective stance against the mistreatment of lawyers and citizens alike, advocating for a comprehensive investigation into the incident at Gowon Estate Police Station.
