….Court attack, an invitation to anarchy, NLC warns

By Victor Ahiuma-Young, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJA—Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of leaders of All Progressives Congress, APC, allegedly linked with the violent attack and invasion of a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt on Friday.

APC

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, also  condemned the attack on the Rivers State High Court premises in Port Harcourt.

The association, in a statement  by its General Secretary, Isiaka Olagunju, called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to set up “a high-powered special investigation team” to identify and prosecute the culprits and their sponsors.

The NBA said that the court invasion was an attempt to ridicule the judiciary and also to undermine the integrity and powers of the judiciary, calling on the IGP to bring the perpetrators to book.

This came as Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday, implored the nation’s security operatives to clamp down on perpetrators of the attacks on courts especially in Rivers State, warning that if it was not checked, it could lead to anarchy.

NLC, in a statement by its President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, in Abuja, also advised judges in the country to live above board, arguing that anything contrary could erode the confidence of the citizenry in the courts and force them to resort to self help.

On its part, PDP said Nigerians were alarmed when armed thugs, sponsored by some politicians, attacked the court, shot their way through, assaulted judicial officers and disrupted proceedings in a bid to stop the court from performing its duties.

In a statement, the PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said: “We are particularly alarmed that since the attack, no arrest has been made, while the Federal Government has not taken any concrete step to bring the perpetrators of this treasonable act to book.”