‘It’s wrong to think civilians are nothing’ – Yusuf Ali, SAN
By Kayode Adeoti
The Ilorin branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has rejected the apology tendered by two officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara State command, who allegedly assaulted one of its members, Nurudeen Abdullateef Aladodo.
Following several court orders compelling their appearance in court, the officers who allegedly assaulted Aladodo; Ajayi Gbolahan and Busari Babatunde decided to write an apology letter to the lawyer.
The defendants (Gbolahan and Babatunde), through the apology letters written separately to the victim, expressed regret for their actions and pledging that such conduct would not recur again.
However, NBA Chairman Suleiman Kosemani dismissed the apology, insisting that the officers must first comply with the court’s order to appear before any dialogue can take place.
“The NBA has resolved to give the NSCDC an audience to hear their side. But there is an extant court order that they must appear, and that order is sacrosanct. It must be complied with first,” Kosemani said. “Afterward, we’ll set up a stakeholders’ meeting to determine the issue.”
He added that the letter of apology could only serve to mitigate the NBA’s position, not replace compliance. “Let them go before the court first. This also does not stop our civil suit where we are claiming monetary compensation for our colleague,” he said.
The NBA chairman stressed that the association must uphold the integrity of the court by adhering to its rules and cannot override an existing judicial directive.
A renowned legal practitioner, Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, who was reportedly approached by the officers for mediation, condemned the assault and described it as a “carryover from military rule.”
“What happened to our colleague is a remnant of our military past. We transitioned years ago, yet many in uniform still believe they are superior to the rest of us. We must address this holistically,” SAN said.
“Wearing a uniform is a privilege. When you use it to commit wrongdoing, you desecrate both the uniform and the country. For any uniformed officer to think civilians are nothing is unacceptable.”
He noted that, apart from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, all other uniformed services including the police are civilian institutions, not part of the armed forces.
“This brutalization must stop. If you think you can act with impunity because you wear a uniform, remember there is always a day of reckoning. If you continue brutalizing people, no one will respect your institutions,” he warned.
He added that while the profession allows for out-of-court settlement, the assaulted lawyer and the officers must first find a meeting point. “Matters of this nature can be settled, but the rule of law must be respected.”
It will be recalled that the court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Adebayo Qudus Dupe, had directed the NSCDC Commandant to produce the officers who allegedly assaulted Aladodo.
The Commandant’s persistent failure to comply led the court to issue a bench warrant, directing the Commissioner of Police to arrest and produce him at the next adjourned date.