Yoruba Lawyers Offer Free Legal Services To Persons Detained During EndSARs Protests In S/West, Abuja

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Niyi Akintola, has revealed that lawyers in the South West are ready to defend anyone who suffered detention or illegal harassment during the EndSARs Protests in the zone and Abuja.

He also called on the Oyo State Government headed by Governor Seyi Makinde to make sure that those who killed protesters during the #EndSARS protest and those, who attacked the Palace of the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi, are arrested and prosecuted.

Akintola, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress also condemned the killing of Jimoh Isiaka and others by the police during the #EndSARS protest in Ogbomoso on Saturday.

Some persons had during the #EndSARS protesters on Sunday invaded the palace of the monarch and destroyed properties there while also injuring some persons . The Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, was holding a meeting with the Soun when the attackers unleashed terror on the palace.

But Akintola said in a statement that such a barbaric attack should not be swept under the carpet without arresting the perpetrators.

The lawyer said a judicial commission of inquiry into the crimes should be instituted immediately by the Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde.

Akintola, however added that the Democratic wing of Egbe Amofin Oodua was ready to offer free legal services to the peaceful protesters, who were arrested without involvement in any criminal act.

The statement read, ” The death of our compatriots in Ogbomoso and indeed of any Nigerian in such a gruesome manner over a constitutionally guaranteed right is most unfortunate and condemnable but the attack on the palace of our most revered father and monarch of Ogbomosoland is not only an apostasy, sacrilegious, barbaric, crude, uncouth and most unreasonable in the circumstances of the prevailing situation in the country.

“The revered Kabiyesi is neither the IGP or COP of Oyo State nor the Chief Security Officer of Oyo State. The Kabiyesi is not even the local government chairman of any of the five local governments in Ogbomosholand.

“Why visiting the revered Kabiyesi Palace with such barbaric acts of hooliganism and violence ? Why fighting a good cause with wrong weapons?

“The acts of violence on the revered Palace is un-Yoruba-like. It also stands condemnable and the Government of Oyo State should bring to book all the perpetrators of the unwanted killings of any of our brothers in Ogbomoso and also the vandals who destroyed and vandalised the sacred Palace of our revered monarch.”

He said those who were arrested for participating in peaceful protest against SARS or their relatives should contact him, while assuring them that lawyers had expressed their readiness to offer them free legal services.

“Our offer of free legal services to all our compatriots who took part in the genuine peaceful protests without engaging in acts of criminality in any part of South West and Abuja still stand in line with the decision of the Democratic wing of Egbe Amofin Oodua.

“Many of our colleagues of Yoruba extraction have placed their colleagues in chambers on stand by for this purpose in Akure, Ado Ekiti, Abeokuta, Ilorin, Ibadan, Osogbo, Lagos and Abuja.

” Feel free to contact the undersigned if you or your relation is unjustifiably detained in any part of towns or state mentioned as a result of protests against the barbaric acts of FSARS against law abiding citizens for adequate free legal services,” he added.