NBA Raises Alarm Over Incessant Kidnap Of Members

From Habiba Ibrahim-Sam

BENIN CITY

The Warri and Benin branches of the Nigerian Bar Association have raised alarm over the incessant kidnap of their members who go about their duties especially at the Benin/Auchi road.

 It could be recalled that three of their members were abducted recently alongside a driver, on their way to the court in Saboginga-Ora, Owan West Local Government Area. 

  According to the statement, the trio of Fred Aburu, Esq., Isreal Unurierume, Esq., Eda Gbejule, Esq., and Kome Esike, the driver of their vehicle, all from Warri, were kidnapped along Benin-Auchi Road, in Edo.

 The chairman, NBA Warri branch, Chief Emmanuel Uti, in a statement made available to journalists, lamented that the development “is disturbing.

 “The incident awakens the sad reality of what has bedeviled our society, which the government has found difficult to contain, in order to reassure its citizens of their safety,” the NBA chairman said.

 He added that this act of kidnapping has “called for a revisit of the Branch resolution that, our branch members should not appear for any accused charged with kidnapping”.

 Also, the NBA, Benin Branch, in a similar statement issued by its publicity secretary, Ogaga Emoghwanre, expressed concern that the kidnapping of lawyers along the Benin/Auchi Road “has become a recurring decimal”.

 The statement read, “The Branch is alarmed over the incessant and unending kidnap of lawyers and citizens plying Benin/Auchi Road by dare-devil kidnappers and has for the umpteenth time made vociferous calls on the security operatives in the state to put an end to the ugly trend.

 “In what has become a recurring decimal, the kidnappers struck again in the early hours of 2/2/-2022 shooting sporadically. While at it, they kidnapped three lawyers and their driver to wit: Mr. Fred Aburu, Mr. Israel Unurierume, Mr. Eda Gbejule and Mr. Kome Esike, the driver.

“It was revealed that the affected lawyers, who are members of the Warri branch of the NBA, (“The Radioactive Bar”) were on their way from Warri to Sabo-gidda Ora High Court when they were attacked at the Ehor axis of the expressway.