#ENDSARS: NBA warns police against use of Live bullets against protesters

By Olalekan Awojodu

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has warned the Nigerian police and other security operatives against the use of live bullets on #ENDSARS protesters across the country.

According to the legal practitioners apex body, the use of life bullet on innocent citizens could aggravate the already tensed atmosphere in the country.

The President of the  association, Olumide Akpata who gave the warning at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday canvassed further that the policemen already indicted for brutality against the citizenry must be dismissed from the service of the police.

He said the move has become important so as to demonstrate good faith and commitment towards ensuring açcountability,  restoring confidence and sanitising the system.

Akpata announced that NBA will make its human and other resources available to the independent investigation panel to be established by police and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to investigate the violations of human rights by the disbanded SARs and other segments of the Nigerian police.

Besides that, the NBA demanded an expedited audit of the various SARs  detention centres across the country, especially the notorious detention facilities in Awkuzu in Anambra state, the infamous human abattoir in Abuja and others in Lagos, Port Harcourt and other parts of the country.

The bar also demanded an immediate audit of the detainees in the detention camps with a view to ensuring that all Nigerians unjustly and unlawfully clamped into detention are immediately  released, while those who have case to answer be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The NBA helmsman then assured that the association will work with Chief Magistrates or designated magistrates across the country to pay monthly visits to police stations and other detention facilities within their territorial division to direct arraignment of suspects on grant them bail in line with the newly enacted police Act in the FCT.

While promising that the NBA will set up a reform team that will work with the police and other institutions  to develop a comprehensive blueprint for the purpose

“We demand that the police service commission live up to its responsibility by looking into complains against abuse of power. This is to curb suspicions and indifference between the public and the police in the country”, he concluded.