Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
Lawyers in Ekiti State yesterday issued a one-week notice to boycott the courts over the murder of one of their own, Mr. Adeola Adebayo by kidnappers
Adebayo who was also the Secretary of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikole Branch, was killed by abductors after kidnapping and collecting ransom from him.
The lawyers conveyed the notice of boycott of the courts in a letter dated December 3, 2018 and signed by Secretary of the Joint Committee of Ekiti Bar, Mr. Temidayo Akeredolu.
The lawyers addressed the letter to the Chief Registrar, Ekiti State Judiciary, and made its copies available to the Chief Judge, all Judges, all Magistrates and all Customary Court Presidents.
The letter entitled: “Re: Kidnap and Eventual Killing of Adeola Adebayo, Notice of Boycott of all Courts in Ekiti State,” explained that the action of the lawyers was “on the authorisation and approval of the Joint Committee of Ekiti Bar.”
The lawyers noted that a street protest was organised on Monday, December 3, “to request for immediate arrest and prosecution of the bloodthirsty harbingers of death that kidnapped and killed Adeola Adebayo.”
They had marched to the governor’s office, the Ekiti State Police Command headquarters and the office of the Department of State Services (DSS) and had delivered a letter to the various authorities with a demand for the arrest and prosecution of the bandits.
They said the boycott was in furtherance to the street protest, saying “all lawyers unanimously at a congress which took place after the protest, resolved to stay away/boycott all courts for one week starting from December 4, 2018.”
“This is to further drive home our request as stated above and to also demand that government should take responsibility for the security of lives and property.”
Adebayo was kidnapped in November 17 and his decomposing body found on December 1.
