The Borno State Chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association on Saturday condemned the detention of a lawyer, Mr Sadiq Kachalla, by police in Maiduguri, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The chairman of the association, Mr Muhammad Maigana, described the detention of one of its members as “unconstitutional, unlawful and illegal”. Maigana disclosed that the lawyer went to the GRA Police Station in Maiduguri metropolis on Friday, to secure the release of his client in detention at the post.

He stated that the lawyer was detained on the orders of the Divisional Police Officer, Mr Bulama Usaini, for over 13 hours for allegedly engaging the police in a heated argument.

The chairman added that the police refused to grant bail to the detained lawyer in spite of pleas by the association.

“The NBA hereby condemns and detests the practice or action of Mr Usaini; the DPO of GRA Police Station for locking up Sadiq Muhammad Kachalla in cell for about 13 hours.

“Lawyers argue to prove cases; the saddest thing is that he went to the police station to exercise his fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution but ended up in the cell.

“The action contravened Chapter 4, sections 35 and 36 of the constitution.

“Certainly, we are taking the matter before the court of law and whosoever is behind the action must be dealt with according to the law,” Maigana said.

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