An Osun State-based legal luminary, Temitope Oyedipe, was on Tuesday arrested by operatives of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission at the premises of Osun State High Court, Ile-Ife for appearing in a case.
The development was confirmed by the Osun State branch of the Nigeria Bar Association in a statement on Wednesday.
The arrested lawyer was said to have been whisked away to the Commission’s office in Lagos amidst tight security.
The EFCC operatives claimed Oyedipe has some questions to respond to.
The NBA in the statement by its Publicity Secretary, Dawood Ajetunmobi, on Wednesday said Oyedipe was arrested by the EFCC and taken to Lagos.
The statement said: “Temitope Oyedipe held a brief of another colleague of his in a garnishee proceeding pending at the court. It was learnt that the EFCC was interested in the suit. And Mr Oyedipe was whisked away by the operatives of EFCC after the proceedings.
“The said substantive counsel and his client in the garnishee proceeding were said to be the targets of the operatives, but the duo were not present in court, and Mr Oyedipe held the lawyer’s brief as agreed between them. So far, the counsel, Mr Temitope Oyedipe is still in the office of the EFCC, Ikoyi Lagos.
“The branch has put every mechanism in motion to ensure his release as soon as practicable. While consultations are ongoing with the leaders of the Association in Nigeria with a view to taking a collective but deterring decision on this condemnable act, the Branch calls on the EFCC to immediately release Mr Temitope Oyedipe unconditionally.”
