A legal luminary, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), says law enforcement agents can only arrest suspects or re-arrest accused persons outside the court premises.
Kehinde made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja against the backdrop of incidents of alleged arrest of suspects within courts’ premises.
He urged the relevant authorities to respect the sanctity of the court premises.
He said: “It is also wrong for any law enforcement agency to arrest anybody within the precinct of the court.
“You don’t arrest anybody within the precinct of the court; you allow the person to get out of the court premises before you arrest him, or before you start questioning him.
“Because the courtroom, the precinct of the court is a hallowed ground that must be emphasised, it is a hallowed ground.
He, however, cautioned counsels and litigants alike to conduct themselves in the courtroom and court chambers with decorum, noting that it is the “temple of justice”.
(NAN)
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