In what appears to be a surprising twist, the police have apprehended three lawyers who were allegedly filing processes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the election petition tribunal in Port Harcourt. These lawyers were said to have been preparing petitions against the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the just-concluded governorship election in Rivers State.
The incident occurred on Friday night when the lawyers were picked up from their hotel lodgings in Port Harcourt, according to reports. The reason for their arrest remains unclear at the moment.
The lawyers in question are attached to the Tuduru Ede’s Chamber, which is headed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. It is not yet known if the police have arrested any other persons in connection with the incident.
Confirming the incident, the State APC Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, said, “Yes, it is true. They were arrested last night. We are going to brief the press.” The motive for the arrest of the lawyers is still unknown, and the police have not issued any statement regarding the incident.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, proved abortive as her mobile phone was unreachable as at the time of filing this report. The news of the arrest of the lawyers has created apprehension among the legal community in Port Harcourt, with many expressing concern over the circumstances surrounding their detention.
