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In a development that has caught many off guard, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Phillip Tunji Ojo, a legal practitioner who had been in their custody in Oyo State, fueling speculation about the next steps in his case.
The EFCC’s investigation into Phillip Tunji Ojo’s activities appears to have taken a swift turn, as the lawyer was released just one day after his arrest in Ibadan,
In a show of solidarity, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) swiftly organized a peaceful protest, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of their detained colleague, Phillip Tunji Ojo, which ultimately preceded his freedom.
The Eastern Updates Learned on Thursday that , Ibrahim Lawal, Chairman of the Ibadan branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), confirmed the release of Phillip Tunji Ojo to the press, bringing an end to the lawyer’s brief but eventful detention.
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The protest, Lawal noted, was a necessary measure to voice dissent against the lawyer’s unlawful detention and to demand an end to the EFCC’s systemic harassment of lawyers, which erodes trust in the legal process and hampers the administration of justice.
He was accompanied by some members of the branch who staged a peaceful protest at the Iyaganku zonal office of the EFCC in the morning to register their agitation.
Lawal noted that the situation became heated when some EFCC officers adopted an adversarial stance towards him and his team, but the timely and authoritative intervention of Hauwa Garba Ringim, the Zonal Director, resulted in Ojo’s release, restoring calm and order.
In a conciliatory gesture, EFCC Zonal Director Hauwa Garba Ringim addressed the protesting NBA members, urging calm and calling for a collaborative approach between the legal profession and the commission in the shared quest to combat corruption.
