The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Akure Branch, has urged the Ondo State Government to deploy additional lawyers from the state Ministry of Justice to the Amotekun Corps to strengthen legal oversight of its operations and prevent violations of suspects’ rights.
The association said the deployment of more legal practitioners would ensure that criminal charges and court processes initiated by the state security outfit undergo proper legal scrutiny before being filed in court.
The NBA made the demand in a communiqué issued after its monthly meeting held at the Aare Afe Babalola Bar Centre in Akure, Ondo State.
The communiqué, signed by the branch chairman, Oju Kekemeke, and secretary, Oluwanike Omotayo, was made available on Tuesday.
According to the association, additional lawyers are needed to ensure that cases handled by Amotekun comply with applicable legal requirements and that the rights of suspects are protected throughout criminal proceedings.
“The proposed deployment is intended to strengthen the legal scrutiny of proposed charges and other court processes before cases are brought before the courts, with a view to promoting compliance with applicable legal requirements and safeguarding the rights of all persons concerned,” the communiqué stated.
The call comes amid growing concerns over the need to ensure that state-backed security agencies operate within the limits of the law while carrying out their crime-fighting responsibilities.
Amotekun was established in January 2020 by the six South-West states — Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Oyo — as a regional security outfit to complement conventional security agencies in tackling kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities.
The NBA also criticised the Ondo State judiciary’s electronic filing system, describing it as an inefficient process that still requires lawyers to submit physical copies of court documents despite uploading the same documents and making payments online.
It called for a fully electronic filing system that would eliminate unnecessary duplication and reduce the burden on legal practitioners.
The association recommended that court registries should generate physical copies of uploaded documents whenever hard copies are required for court records or service.
“Where physical copies are required for the court’s records or for service, such copies should be generated by the registry from the uploaded documents,” it said.
The NBA further urged the judiciary to exempt urgent ex parte applications from mandatory electronic filing, arguing that the requirement could create delays in matters requiring immediate judicial intervention.
It said it would seek a meeting with the Chief Judge of Ondo State, senior members of the Bar and former branch chairmen to discuss the concerns and explore possible reforms.
