Daud Olatunji .
The Nigerian Bar Association, Abeokuta Branch, and the Ogun State Police Command have agreed to establish a joint forum to address recurring concerns, including the criminalisation of civil disputes, excessive charges for enforcing court judgments and alleged attempts to frustrate police investigations.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between the NBA delegation, led by its Chairman, Chief Kayode Aderemi, and officials of the police command.
At the meeting, the police cautioned lawyers against presenting civil disputes as criminal matters through petitions, urging them to desist from practices that could lead to the inappropriate use of police powers.
The police also said petitions relating to land disputes should be submitted to police formations in the states where the properties are located, in line with a directive attributed to the Inspector-General of Police.
The meeting further discussed the practice of asking lawyers to leave their mobile phones at police station desks.
The Commissioner of Police reportedly explained that the decision was generally discretionary, noting concerns that some lawyers had previously recorded sensitive conversations without authorisation.
He, however, said lawyers who needed their phones could request temporary access to them while at the station.
On the treatment of lawyers who become suspects, the meeting noted that such practitioners could, where appropriate, be considered for bail to the NBA branch to which they belong.
The police also urged lawyers to avoid actions that could encourage their clients to disobey court orders, stressing the need to respect judicial decisions.
Meanwhile, the NBA raised concerns over alleged excessive charges imposed by some police officers during the enforcement of court judgments.
Responding, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations advised lawyers to report such incidents to his office or that of the Commissioner of Police for appropriate action.
The meeting also addressed the use of fundamental rights enforcement proceedings in cases involving police invitations and investigations.
The police urged lawyers to reserve such applications for cases involving genuine violations of fundamental rights rather than using them to help suspects evade investigation.
They also expressed concern over petitions reportedly sent to superior police authorities to frustrate or delay ongoing investigations.
The NBA and the police acknowledged that the issues were recurring and agreed that regular engagement was necessary to prevent misunderstandings and improve relations between both institutions.
Consequently, both parties agreed to establish a Police and NBA Forum, comprising selected senior police officers and members of the Bar, to provide a platform for continuous dialogue, complaints and feedback.
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