Lawyers in the Mgbidi, Oguta, and Omumma Judicial Division of Imo State, on Thursday, commenced a two-day boycott of courts to protest the murder of their colleague, Mr Chinedu Nwowu.
Nwowu was shot on Wednesday evening in his Mgbidi hometown by yet-to-be identified assailants.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Orlu Branch, Mr Benneth Amukamara, said the boycott was initiated to condemn the “senseless killing and demand justice for the slain lawyer.”
According to Amukamara, the action is a clear indication of our outrage and concern for the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues.
“The courts we boycotted today was to show our pains and solidarity to the deceased.
“The boycott continues tomorrow (Friday),” he further said.
He emphasised that the decision to boycott the courts was not a resolution taken by the NBA Orlu branch, but by Oru, Oguta and some unregistered bar forum within Orlu branch.
He also said that there was no time the NBA Orlu branch met to agree to boycott court sittings in the area.
The chairman, who said the issue of insecurity in the state had no bounds, however, expressed worry over the number of lawyers involved.
“We are not comfortable with that.
“We have registered our grievances with the Oru Divisional Police Station in Mgbidi and we were informed that the state had taken up the matter.
“The national body has equally written a statement urging the police to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of the lawyer,” he said.
A source that pleaded anonymity said that some gunmen waylaid the lawyer, shot him in his vehicle and ensured he died before leaving the scene on Wednesday night.
“This incident has caused widespread fear across the state, as the motive behind the killing remains unclear,” the source said.
Efforts to get the Police reaction to the development were unsuccessful as the Imo Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, neither picked nor responded to calls and message sent to his cellphone as at the time of filing the report.
