Legal practitioners in Imo State have called on the Federal Government to intervene in the abduction of Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme of an Appeal Court sitting in Benin.
It had been reported that suspected gunmen on Wednesday in Benin city, capital of Edo State, abducted Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme of the Court of Appeal, Benin Division.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) Some lawyers while speaking with newsmen in separate interviews in Owerri on Wednesday expressed their concerns.
Mr Chinonso Chikaire, one of the lawyers, expressed worries over the kidnap of Nwosu-Iheme and called on security agencies and other concerned bodies to weigh in on the matter.
Chikaire said that a swift action was required to send the right message to the kidnappers and salvage the image of the country.
He said, “It is worrisome that no word has been heard from the abductors yet.
“This is the more reason why the Federal government and its concerned agencies should intervene to salvage the image of Nigeria.”
Another lawyer, Mrs Blessing Iweajunwa, noted that the boycott of court proceedings by Imo chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) since Monday was a step in the right direction.
According to her, the move will enable relevant agencies of government to come to terms with the reality of Nwosu-Iheme’s abduction and its underlying consequences.
She said, “Boycotting court proceedings for the sake of a Judge of the Federal Court of Appeal and former Judge of Imo High Court is a step in the right direction, it will send a message.
“The consequences of this abduction are gruel not just for the judiciary but more so for Nigeria.”
NAN reports that NBA in Imo State boycotted court sittings in the state since Monday in protest of the kidnap of Nwosu-Iheme.
DAILY TRUST
