Rt. Hon. Barr. Sunday Cyriacus Umeha represented the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, at the NBA-SARC Town Hall meeting on July 16, 2024. The event, organized by the NBA-Securities Agencies Relations Committee (NBA-SARC) under the leadership of Chukwuka Ikwuazom SAN, aimed to foster a more professional and cordial relationship between legal practitioners and law enforcement agencies.
In his address, Hon. Umeha highlighted the crucial, intertwined roles of lawyers and law enforcement agents as guardians of the law and essential partners in the criminal justice process. He noted that this shared responsibility necessitates mutual respect between both groups. However, he lamented the historically tense relationship that has often led to the harassment, intimidation, and even incarceration of lawyers.
Hon. Umeha praised the NBA-SARC initiative and thanked the Nigerian Bar Association’s leadership for this innovative step towards enhancing relationships between lawyers and security agencies. He emphasized that such efforts can significantly improve professional interactions and cooperation.
Additionally, Hon. Umeha stressed the importance of training and orientation for desk officers in law enforcement agencies. He also called on lawyers to show respect and decorum when interacting with law enforcement officers, as a lack of this often escalates tensions, leading to harassment and mishandling of the legal practitioners involved.
