A circulating video on social media has shown men and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service manhandling a lawyer who accompanied his client to resolve an issue with the service over his car which was impounded.

Trouble was said to have started when the lawyer informed the service of the illegality of their action in impounding the client’s car. This legal opinion from the lawyer was said to have angered the Customs officers who directed he be manhandled and detained.

From the video, seen by ASKLEGALPALACE, the lawyer is seen struggling with about two to three officers who at the instruction of a senior officer were trying to evacuate him from the office. The overpowered lawyer attempted to resist the physical intimidation and harassment of the officers by informing them of the illegality of their actions even as the person who recorded the video opposed the action by reminding them that the man was a lawyer.

This worrying incident once again brings to fore the issues of intimidation and high-handedness by security agencies in the country.

More disturbing is when such is meted against legal practitioners in the regular course of their professional duties.

Recently, the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association has taken steps to checkmate frequent cases of harassment by security agents against lawyers in the country.

This led to the setting up of the NBA Security Agencies Relations Committee Chaired by J.K. Gadzama SAN.

It is hoped that the committee would step in to address this condemnable incident and ensure the erring officers are sanctioned.