Lawyers decry abduction, task FG on insecurity
The immediate past President of Ni­gerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Okey Wali (SAN) has been kid­napped in Port Harcourt by un­known gunmen.
He was kidnapped during the weekend, around his house in Rumualogu, Port Harcourt, between 7 and 8pm. The bandits were said to have forced their way into the victim’s vehicle as he was returning home, and drove him out of the vicinity before forcing the SAN into their vehicle and drove away. The victim’s car was later recovered at Ozuoba area, where it was abandoned by the kidnappers. The abductors were yet to contact his family as at Press time, even as his whereabouts remain unknown.
Reacting to the abduction of his immediate past predecessor, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Augustine Alegeh (SAN) and other prominent lawyers, in a statement, urged the kidnappers to immediately release him to his anxious family.
According to the statement: “Okey Wali SAN is a man of peace who has not only contributed immensely to the enthronement of rule of law and protection of human rights, but also to the development of our nation. It is therefore saddening that he should become a kidnap victim.
The statement read further:“This sad event is yet another reminder of the state of insecurity in which all Nigerians live. The NBA calls on the Federal Government to step up efforts to fulfill its primary constitutional role of providing for the welfare and security of all Nigerians.”
The NBA boss, who told Daily Sun yesterday that the association was working with all security agents to ensure Wali’s release, however, said the suspected kidnappers had yet to establish contact with anyone.
Also speaking, the Chairman, NBA, Rivers State Branch, Dennis Okwamkpa, said the body was worried over the abduction of their colleague.
Okwamkpa, who spoke to Daily Sun on phone yesterday, condemned in strong terms, the kidnap of Wali.
He also expressed worry that some prominent members of the state had become the target of kidnappers, saying, the ugly trend should not be allowed to continue.

Okey Wali, ex-NBA president kidnapped