The National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Akorede Habeeb Lawal has reacted to the statement by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) per the PRO of Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin that the Court frees criminals that are charged by the police. According to Lawal, the NPF should not use the court as a scapegoat to justify its failures.

His statement was a reaction to an earlier thread of tweets sighted by TheNigeriaLawyer. A tweeter handle, @99% Oppressed had begin the Twitter thread after he had tweeted a picture of one Rasheed Abdulateef, aka Adagun, which according to the handler is “a cult leader in Agege, who led thugs to Alausa in October 2020, to attack unarmed peaceful #EndSARS protesters was arrested in June 2022, with riffles at Agege by RRS.” Then the Twitter handler tagged the Public Relations Officer of Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin asking: “@BenHundeyin what is the latest?”

I AM SURE A LOT OF NIGERIANS DON’T KNOW THAT RASHEED ABDULATEEF, AKA ADAGUN. A CULT LEADER IN AGEGE, WHO LED THUGS TO ALAUSA IN OCTOBER 2020, TO ATTACK UNARMED PEACEFUL #ENDSARS PROTESTERS WAS ARRESTED IN JUNE 2022, WITH RIFFLES AT AGEGE BY RRS.@BENHUNDEYIN WHAT IS THE LATEST? PIC.TWITTER.COM/IYVVXEH7H5

— 99% OPPRESSED (@TRUTHFULLY83) SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

In response to this tweet, the PRO, Lagos State Command, SP Hundeyin had stated that the court was responsible for the reemergence of the alleged cultist captured in a tweet when he tweeted that “it would shock you that we charge people to court only for us to see them again. The court in its own wisdom frees them. Again, approach the court.”

IT WOULD SHOCK YOU THAT WE CHARGE PEOPLE TO COURT ONLY FOR US TO SEE THEM AGAIN. THE COURT IN ITS OWN WISDOM FREES THEM. AGAIN, APPROACH THE COURT.

— SP BENJAMIN HUNDEYIN (@BENHUNDEYIN) SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

It was in reaction to the tweet by Hundeyin that, NBA Publicity Secretary, Lawal quoted the said tweet in reply, stating that the court cannot be blamed for the inadequacy of the police force. His words read thus: “There is nothing shocking about charging persons to court and seeing them again. Afterall, everyone is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. Also, the court shouldn’t be subtly made an easy scapegoat for weak investigations and terrible prosecution. Let’s be guided!”

THERE IS NOTHING SHOCKING ABOUT CHARGING PERSONS TO COURT AND SEEING THEM AGAIN. AFTERALL, EVERYONE IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE. ALSO, THE COURT SHOULDN'T BE SUBTLY MADE AN EASY SCAPEGOAT FOR WEAK INVESTIGATIONS AND TERRIBLE PROSECUTION. LET'S BE GUIDED! HTTPS://T.CO/PHBCNXUEQX

— AKOREDE HABEEB LAWAL (@LAWALHAB) SEPTEMBER 4, 2022.