Members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) were on Monday denied entry into the National Assembly by security agents posted to the facility.
Recall that the NBA President, Olumide Akpata, had earlier on Friday directed its branch chairmen nationwide to lead peaceful protests to government houses in their states over the governors’ alleged unwillingness to implement judiciary’s financial autonomy.
He had urged the branch leaders to effectively mobilise their members for a visit to the governors at the state government houses to press home the demand.
JUSUN since April 6, 2021, left the courts in Nigeria under lock and key because of the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary as the third arm of government. They commenced a nationwide strike today, April 19, 2021.
However, the lawyers heeded the call of their president and embarked are on a peaceful march in solidarity with judiciary workers who are protesting financial autonomy.
They had earlier converged at the Court of Appeal gate before proceeding to the National Assembly in their numbers, to register their demands.
Security officials upon sighting the lawyers in their vehicles locked up the two gates to National Assembly.
“People like you can’t just be in the National Assembly…” one of the security officers told the lawyers.
