Lawyers boycott courts over killing of colleague in Benue



Friday, November 29, 2024 -Lawyers in Benue State on Thursday boycotted sittings in court over the killing of their colleague, Mike Ofikwu.

The lawyer was killed in Otukpo LGA of the state by unknown gunmen.

Unidentified gunmen had shot dead the young lawyer and activist a week ago at the entrance of his house, while he was driving into his residence on return from work.

The deceased was said to have been shot multiple times and was later rushed to a nearby hospital by sympathisers after the assailants fled, but died last Thursday.

While protesting the killing of Ofikwu, the lawyers marched from the High Court to the police headquarters in Makurdi, where they registered their grievances and demanded justice to be served.

The state chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Terna Iyaji, explained to the state Commissioner of Police, that all lawyers in the state boycotted the courts on Thursday not only to mourn their slain colleague but to demand quick investigation into the matter.

“All lawyers in the state including Makurdi, Otukpo and Gboko branches are here today.

“We boycotted the courts today and we are here to urge you (police) to step up investigation. We encourage you to expedite investigation into the matter because this is not the first time this kind of killing would occur.

“It has happened before, Ofikwu’s killing is the second and we don’t want to experience anything like this again,” the NBA chairman added.

Responding, the Commissioner of Police, Steve Yabnet, represented by his spokesperson, SP Catherine Anene, appealed for calm, saying that investigation into the matter was ongoing.

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