AFBA Decries Assault on Benin Based Lawyer, Douglas Ogbankwa by DSS Personnel

The African Bar Association (AFBA), on Thursday condemned in strong term, the brutal assault on one their own, Douglas Ogbankwa in Benin City at the premises of the Department of State Security Service (DSS).

In a statement in Benin City, endorsed by the association’s Chairman, Dr. Samson Osagie, the body called on the Director of the DSS to rein on his officers who were involved in the abuse of Ogbankwa’s human rights.

AFBA noted that Nigeria is a nation under constitutional democracy and as such, flagrant violation of the rule of law and rights of citizens must be curtailed by law enforcement agents for the overall interest of the country.

Moreover, the association said it is concerned about the attempt by the DSS in Benin to denigrate the sanctity of the law by denying the lawyer the opportunity to represent his client during investigations and interrogations at the DSS office in Benin.

The statement read in part: “The Nigerian Forum of the African Bar Association (AFBA), had received the news of the assault on Douglas Ogbankwa, Equ., A legal practitioner based in Benin City on the 27th of September, 2023 by some officials of the DSS, Edo State Command.

“We condemn in strong terms the attempt to silence and intimidate a legal practitioner in the course of discharging his professional duties to hi client.

“Barrister Ogbankwa who is the Director of Strategic Communications of AFBA is a well known defender of human rights and independent of the judiciary. He has been an advocate of the rule of law in the course his practices.

“We therefore, called on the DG of DSS to rein in their errant officers of the department who are in the habit of abusing their powers as security agents against innocent citizens and legal practitioners.”