Lawyer urges heightened security for legal practitioners amid rising attacks

He called for decisive measures to tackle the crimes. Ataene spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, following the abduction of a Sokoto-based lawyer, Rukayyat Mustafa.

Mustafa was reportedly abducted from her residence at Bado in Sokoto State, on Sunday, by suspected bandits. NAN reports that Mustafa’s abduction occurred after a series of such an incident.

A legal practitioner and Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ihiala Branch, Peter Awa, was reportedly murdered on May 19 by unidentified gunmen at Eke Umudioka, Okija in Anambra State.

Following news of his murder, members of the NBA in Anambra began a weeklong boycott of all courts in the state in protest of the killing. Some members of the NBA in Anambra also boycotted courts in the state over the kidnap of another lawyer, Chukwubuikem Azoro.

Some unidentified gunmen had abducted Azoro around Abagana in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state. His whereabouts are still unknown. On May 21, a lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar, Roland Iponle, was abducted while attending a meeting.

Ataene told NAN that the killings and kidnappings had created much anxiety and fear.

“Lawyers and judicial officers do not live in a vacuum; they are an integral part of the society,” he said.

According to Ataene, lawyers, who uphold the sanctity of lives were being "systematically targeted" by criminals. “This is indeed condemnable,” he added.

He called for the comprehensive installation of close-circuit television cameras at workplaces and public places.

“There must be regular patrols with particular emphasis on court environments, highways, churches, mosques and event centres, among others.

“There is also a dire need to equip all security forces with state-of-the-art weapons, which sounds alone, should send shivers down the spines of these men of the underworld,” he stated.

According to him, there is also the need for security arrangements around lawyers and judicial officers.