Alleged Assault: NBA Rejects Kwara NSCDC Officers’ Apology
The Kwara State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has rejected an apology offered by two officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) accused of assaulting a lawyer. The body insisted that the officers must first obey a court order directing their appearance before any reconciliation process can begin. The officers, […]
The Kwara State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has rejected an apology offered by two officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) accused of assaulting a lawyer.
The body insisted that the officers must first obey a court order directing their appearance before any reconciliation process can begin.
The officers, identified as Ajayi Gbolahan and Busari Babatunde, had reportedly written to the victim, Nurudeen Abdullateef Aladodo.
They expressed regret over the incident and promise that such conduct would not happen again.
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But the NBA said the apology could not override an existing judicial directive compelling the officers to appear in court.
Chairman of the Kwara NBA, Suleiman Kosemani, said the association remained open to hearing the officers’ side of the story but would not compromise the integrity of the court process.
“There is an extant court order directing them to appear, and that order is sacrosanct. It must be complied with first,” Kosemani said.
He explained that the association could only consider dialogue after compliance with the court order, adding that the apology letter may only help reduce tensions surrounding the matter.
“Afterward, we will convene a stakeholders’ meeting to determine the way forward. But this does not affect the civil action we instituted seeking monetary compensation for our colleague,” he added.
The NBA chairman stressed that lawyers, as custodians of the rule of law, could not be seen disregarding judicial orders or encouraging shortcuts around the legal process.
The controversy has continued to generate reactions within the legal community, with senior lawyer Yusuf Olaolu Ali strongly condemning the alleged assault and what he described as a growing culture of impunity among uniformed personnel.
Ali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the incident reflected lingering authoritarian tendencies from Nigeria’s military era.
“What happened to our colleague is a carryover from military rule. We left military dictatorship years ago, but many people in uniform still behave as if they are superior to civilians,” he said.
According to him, the abuse of power by security personnel threatens public confidence in state institutions and undermines the respect attached to official uniforms.
“Wearing a uniform is a privilege. Once you use that privilege to commit wrongdoing, you desecrate the uniform and even the country itself.
“It is wrong for any officer to think civilians are nothing. This brutalisation must stop”, Ali stated.
The legal icon further argued that most uniformed agencies in the country, aside from the military, remain civilian institutions bound by civil laws and accountability mechanisms.
“If you think you can act with impunity because you wear a uniform, there will always be a day of reckoning. Continued brutality will only destroy public respect for these institutions,” he warned.
Ali, however, acknowledged that the matter could still be resolved amicably if all parties agree, but insisted that respect for due process must come first.
“Cases like this can be settled, but the rule of law must be respected by everyone involved,” he said.
Calls to the NSCDC spokesperson in Kwara State, Ayoola Micheal, for reaction to the latest NBA position were not answered Friday night.
Daily Trust reports that the dispute stems from allegations that the two NSCDC officers assaulted Aladodo, prompting legal action and repeated court directives ordering their appearance.
Chief Magistrate Adebayo Qudus Dupe had earlier directed the Kwara State NSCDC Commandant to produce the officers before the court.
However, after what the court described as repeated non-compliance, a bench warrant was issued directing the Commissioner of Police to arrest and produce the Commandant at the next adjourned sitting on June 10, 2026.