Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has established free legal support services for individuals whose fundamental human rights may be violated during the ongoing hunger protest.
Gatekeepers News reports that Yakubu Maikyau, the NBA President, directed the chairpersons of the association’s 130 branches to take up cases of human rights breaches, harassment, intimidation, or torture perpetrated by law enforcement agents or others.
“The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, has yesterday, July 31, 2024, directed all the Chairmen/Chairpersons of the 130 branches of the NBA to ensure that their respective human rights committees take up observed or reported cases of breach of fundamental right(s) of any citizen, harassment, intimidation or torture perpetrated by law enforcement agents, the protesters or other identified members of the public in the course of the protest,” the NBA said in a statement.
Maikyau urged law enforcement agents to be professional and respect human rights while discharging their duties.
He also advised protesters to exercise their rights peacefully and within the bounds of the law.
A Situation Monitoring Committee has been set up to monitor interactions between law enforcement agents and protesters, with an online monitoring form available for reporting incidents.
The NBA has established Legal Support Services teams across the country, headed by its first Vice President, Mrs. Linda Rose Bala, and other senior officials. The association has also written to the Inspector General of Police for collaboration.
The security agencies are also urged to be professional and observe human rights in their duty to enforce the law.
The protest, scheduled to hold in all 36 states and the FCT from August 1 to 10, aims to bring attention to the economic hardship faced by citizens.
