A report by the Cable has it that no fewer than three lawyers have been arrested for filing All Progressive Congress APC, tribunal petitions in Rivers state.
The online newspaper stated that a statement it obtained on Saturday April 1, indicates that the lawyers arrested include, Jerry Aondo, Sobere Nelson and Odum Eyiba, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC).
They were arrested in Port Harcourt on Friday while filing a legal proceeding against the results of the just concluded elections.
The lawyers whom it said to be preparing petitions for the party ahead of their appearance at the election tribunal on Monday, April 3, 2023, were arrested on Friday and taken to the police intelligence and surveillance unit, Ogunabali.
Truth Live News learnt that the lawyers had with them items such as laptops and exhibits required for their petition defence, agent’s copy of form extra result sheets (EC8), and certified true copies (CTC) of INEC documents seized by the police.
Reacting to the ugly development, the informed source said Femi Falana, human rights lawyer and activist has called on Usman Baba, inspector general of police (IGP) to order the release of three lawyers detained in Rivers state, south south region of Nigeria.
It said Falana who made the demand on Saturday in a statement received by it said the “arrest has no legal justification, therefore they must be released immediately.
In addition, it said the activist also demanded that the police apologize to the lawyers publicly.
According to it, the SAN said he has just confirmed that the police will drag the detained lawyers to a magistrate court on Monday, April 3, and charge them with the forgery of electoral materials.
It further made it clear, that the source said the primary purpose of the latest display of naked power is to frustrate the opposition from filing an election petition against the rigging and violence that marred the March 18 governorship election in Rivers state.
While quoting the source, it stated that since there is no legal justification for the arrest and detention of the lawyers, the SAN is compelled to call on the inspector-general of police to order their immediate release.
You could recall that Siminialayi Funbara, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defeated Tonye Cole of the APC in the state governorship election.