The Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Akorede Habeeb Lawal has taken a swipe at the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin over a twitter comment which suggests that the Nigerian courts are responsible for the failure in the criminal justice system.
It all started with a tweet by 99% OPPRESSED @Truthfully83 showing a picture of one Rasheed Abdulateef, aka Adagun, which according to the tweet is “a cult leader in Agege, who led thugs to Alausa in October 2020, to attack unarmed peaceful #EndSARS protesters was arrested in June 2022, with riffles at Agege by RRS.” The PPRO @BenHundeyin was tagged with a question – “what is the latest?”
In response, SP Hundeyin twitted : “it would shock you that we charge people to court only for us to see them again. The court in its own wisdom frees them. Again, approach the court.”
Well, the NBA Publicity Secretary @lawalhab would hear non of that as he immediately fired back at the PPRO:
“There is nothing shocking about charging persons to court and seeing them again. Afterall, everyone is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. Also, the court shouldn’t be subtly made an easy scapegoat for weak investigations and terrible prosecution. Let’s be guided!”
As expected, the tweet by SP Hundeyin did not go down well with many others who expressed same sentiment as Mr. Lawal
Check the tweets below.
POLICE ARREST ADAGUN, 13 OTHERS OVER CULTISM, VIOLENCE IN AGEGE, RECOVER HARD DRUG
Officers of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have arrested two leaders of rival cult gangs and ten others over the incessant cult and gang wars plaguing Agege and environs. pic.twitter.com/uQV4xKO03r
— Lagos State Police Command II (@rrslagos767) June 6, 2022
It would shock you that we charge people to court only for us to see them again. The court in its own wisdom frees them. Again, approach the court.
— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) September 4, 2022
There is nothing shocking about charging persons to court and seeing them again. Afterall, everyone is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. Also, the court shouldn't be subtly made an easy scapegoat for weak investigations and terrible prosecution. Let's be guided! https://t.co/PHBcNxueQX
— Akorede Habeeb Lawal (@lawalhab) September 4, 2022
How shld they approach approach court? If you don't prosecute diligently or you abandon a case after settlement, so the court should keep a Defendant awaiting trial for years?
Yet you people know how to add vigour to cases that interests you. A lady had to change her prosecutor.
— mumuni damilola (@expensivegenius) September 5, 2022
In this regards, you are wrong sir..
You don't follow up case u handover to court…
In every country, when a police man handover to court, u must represent in every court day regards the criminal u handover to court….You are supposed to see it to the endin
— Ekuase (@Ekuase10) September 4, 2022
The court in its own wisdom?
I hope you appear in court some day and they use this tweet to hold you in contemptYour men come to court with messy charge sheets.
Your men bring people to court and "disappear" afterwards, burdening the court system.
— Kaidou (@hrh_tumi) September 4, 2022
The court did not free them. It is either they are on bail (most of those offenses are bailable) or the Prosecution fails to prove their cases beyond reasonable doubt. These are the 2 reasons why they might be back to the street. The Court is never the problem.
— Adekunle Olanipekun (@sen_adekunle) September 5, 2022