Some lawyers, under the aegis of Bola Ahmed Tinubu?s Lawyers (BAT Lawyers), have urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate the alleged assault on one of their members, Mr. Ernest Okpaga, by some police officers attached to the National Cybercrime Centre (NCC).

BAT Lawyers is a group of Nigerian legal practitioners that supports and expresses belief in the mandate, vision, and mission of President Tinubu, as encapsulated in the Renewed Hope Agenda for Nigerians.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Ikeja, the lawyers alleged that Okpaga, an Abuja-based lawyer, was allegedly assaulted by some police officers attached to the NPF-NCC on December 19.

The convener of the group, Mrs. Abibat Bankole-Apena, said BAT Lawyers had written a petition to the IGP and the Police Service Commission (PSC) over the incident.

She urged the police authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

According to her, the police officers beat Okpaga and dragged him on the floor after he resisted being locked up in a room with one of his clients, Ms. Thomas Abiodun, who had reportedly collapsed.

Mrs. Bankole-Apena also alleged that the officers and men of NPF-NCCC concealed their identity by wearing mufti to work.

This made it easy for them to unleash terror on Okpaga without any legal justification.

The convener said an individual, identified simply as ASP Raliant, was the investigating police officer (IPO) in the matter.

She said: ?It is unfortunate that the actions of a few bad eggs in the Nigeria Police Force are soiling the good works of President Bola Tinubu and his lieutenants, like the Inspector General of Police, which she said is giving this government a bad image.

?We believe that the IGP will take the matter seriously and act expeditiously in the overall interest of our country.

?We also call on the police authorities to take steps to prevent such incidents in the future because we serve as part of change agents in providing the much-needed feedback to government. We are participants in the process of instituting good governance in Nigeria, which is a fundamental goal of Mr. President.?

?We have called this press conference because we want to hold these men accountable and demonstrate that there are no sacred cows under this government. We believe that the IGP will take the matter seriously and act expeditiously in the overall interest of our country.?

BAT Lawyers also demanded that necessary disciplinary measures be meted out to those involved in the act to serve as a deterrent to others who might want to toe such a line of impunity.

?Our member would have been beaten to death if not for the intervention of some other officers who were watching as he was being subjected to inhuman treatment.

?Okpaga informed us that it was upon this intervention that they ceased beating him, and took him and his client to the police clinic where they were both treated.

?We believe that the IGP will take the matter seriously and act expeditiously in the overall interest of our country,? Mrs. Bankole-Apena. (The Nation: Text, Excluding Headline)

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