Lawyers under the Jos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) are preparing petitions to the national NBA leadership, the Inspector-General of Police, and key human rights bodies, protesting what they describe as the unlawful detention of their colleague, Barrister Hero Tawal Habila, by officers of the Eagle Eye Unit, Abattoir Division, Jos.
According to NewsMen, the incident occurred on Saturday, May 11, 2025, when Barristers Hero Habila and Jerry Chaka visited the police station to represent detained clients. Rather than being granted access, the lawyers say they were insulted and denied entry, with Habila ultimately detained without explanation.
NBA Jos member Barrister Kyenret Comfort Mimang told Journalist that the lawyers were merely fulfilling their constitutional role when officers obstructed them. One officer reportedly shouted that “not even the Inspector-General of Police” could compel them to allow lawyer access, underscoring what the NBA describes as blatant defiance of the law.
Tensions escalated as police officers allegedly mocked the lawyers, threatened to detain them, and bragged about routinely jailing legal practitioners without repercussions. Concerned for his safety, Barrister Jerry Chaka left after relatives of the detainees advised him to do so.
Chaka recounted that after they identified themselves as lawyers and waited nearly an hour, Habila was called in, his phone was seized and accessed, and he was thrown into a cell—without cause.
He also claimed that the officers seemed more interested in extorting money from suspects’ relatives than following legal procedures. “They demanded ₦100,000 and questioned why lawyers were even present. The message was clear: forget legal rights—just pay up,” he said.
NBA Jos condemned the incident as a serious threat to the justice system and confirmed that formal petitions are being drafted in response
