An attempt by the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Nyanya-Karu Branch, Abuja, to free its embattled Treasurer, Mr. Monday Isah Adah, suffered a major setback mid-week as its peace-building delegation was reportedly ordered by the Nasarawa State Police Commissioner to leave its office.

CITY LAWYER had earlier reported that Adah was whisked away by operatives attached to the Police State Headquarters, Lafia, Nasarawa State, “while he was carrying out his professional duties at Magistrate Court No. 3, Lafia.”

In a detailed update on the plight of the NBA branch officer made available to CITY LAWYER by the branch leadership, it stated that while the branch delegation sought an audience with the Commissioner and met with him in his office, “. Regrettably, “the interaction was, from our perspective, extremely disappointing.”

Continuing, thhe branch stated that “The Commissioner was hostile to the delegation and rejected the pleas for Mr. Adah’s release. He stated that the police had already filed charges before a court and that, consequently, he could not grant the Branch’s request for administrative bail.

“The Commissioner further stated, without prompting from the delegation, that he do not interfere in cases involving ownership of land such as the matter in question.

“The meeting ended with the Commissioner ordering the delegation to leave his office.”

The branch has urged NBA President Afam Osigwe SAN and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene in the matter.

Below is the full text of the statement.

UPDATE ON THE ARREST, DETENTION AND REMAND OF OUR BRANCH TREASURER, MONDAY ISAH ADAH, ESQ AND THE BRANCH INTERVENTION SO FAR.

Dear Distinguished Colleagues,

The leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, Nyanya-Karu Branch, Abuja, considers it necessary to formally update members on the circumstances surrounding the arrest, prolonged detention and subsequent remand of our Branch Treasurer, Monday Isah Adah, Esq., and the steps being taken by the Branch to secure his immediate release and protect his rights and professional integrity.
The circumstances of this matter are deeply troubling and have engaged the attention and full intervention of the Branch leadership since the arrest of our colleague on Thursday, 13 August 2026.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ARREST
On Thursday, 13 August 2026, Monday Isah Adah, Esq., appeared at Magistrate Court No. 3, Lafia, Nasarawa State, in his professional capacity as counsel to his client, Mr. Nuhu Idris, in a criminal matter arising from a disagreement over ownership of land in Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

Mr. Adah had driven from Mararaba, near Abuja, to Lafia with his client for the court proceedings.
Following the hearing and adjournment of the matter, Mr. Adah and his client entered their vehicle to return to Abuja. According to the account subsequently given by Mr. Adah to the Branch leadership, a woman entered the vehicle and, while they were on their way, identified herself and attempted to re-arrest his client.

Mr. Adah questioned the propriety and authority for the attempted re-arrest, resulting in a disagreement. He stopped the vehicle. According to his account, the woman thereafter summoned other police officers who arrived at the scene and allegedly assaulted both Mr. Adah and his client before taking them to the police station.

BACKGROUND TO THE CASE
It is important to state that the criminal proceedings against Mr. Adah’s client arose from a land dispute in Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
Mr. Adah informed the Branch leadership that the police had previously commenced proceedings relating to the same matter before a court in Makurdi, Benue State, where he represented his client.

According to him, he successfully defended his client and the proceedings at Makurdi were quashed for want of territorial jurisdiction.
Mr. Adah further informed the Branch leadership that his subsequent professional involvement in the matter attracted the displeasure of certain police officers.

In particular, he reported that the police prosecutor, identified as ASP Danjuma, who Mr. Adah stated is himself a legal practitioner, had previously warned him to withdraw from the matter or face consequences. According to Mr. Adah, he declined to abandon his client and continued to represent him in accordance with his professional obligation.

The Branch leadership considers these allegations extremely serious and believes that they require proper investigation by the appropriate authorities.

INTERVENTION BY NBA LAFIA BRANCH
Immediately upon receiving information about Mr. Adah’s arrest, the leadership of the Nyanya-Karu Branch contacted the Nigerian Bar Association, Lafia Branch, and sought its intervention.

The Vice Chairman of NBA Lafia Branch, Danjuma Mohammed, Esq., promptly visited the police station and intervened on behalf of the legal profession, seeking the release of Mr. Adah on administrative bail.

The police informed him that the release of Mr. Adah on administrative bail could only be approved by the Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State Command, CP Shettima Mohammed.
Efforts were thereafter made to secure such approval. Unfortunately, the request for Mr. Adah’s release on administrative bail was rejected.

FOUR DAYS IN POLICE DETENTION
Mr. Adah consequently remained in police detention from Thursday, 13 August 2026, until Monday, 17 August 2026. Of particular concern to the Branch was the condition in which our colleague was kept.
Mr. Adah had travelled to Lafia for court in his professional attire and, following his arrest, had only the suit he wore to court as the only clothing in his possession throughout the period of his detention. The prolonged detention of a legal practitioner who had travelled to court in the ordinary discharge of his professional responsibilities, without access to his personal effects or clothing, was a matter of grave concern to the Branch.

BRANCH LEADERSHIP TRAVELS TO LAFIA
On Monday, 17 August 2026, the Branch leadership decided that it was no longer sufficient to intervene remotely. The Branch Chairman, Alexander Edim, Esq.; the Branch Secretary, Mazi Echika Ejido, Esq.; and the Secretary of the Young Lawyers Forum, Emmanuel Agada, Esq., travelled to Lafia to personally interface with the police authorities and demand the release of our Branch Treasurer on administrative bail. Upon arrival in Lafia, the delegation proceeded to A Division Police Station, Lafia, where Mr. Adah was being detained.

MEETING WITH MONDAY ISAH ADAH, ESQ.
The Branch delegation met Mr. Adah at the police station and found him in a condition that was deeply disturbing. Notwithstanding the circumstances of his detention, Mr. Adah remained in high spirits and gave the Branch leadership a detailed account of what had transpired since his arrest.

According to his account, after the proceedings at Magistrate Court No. 3 on Thursday, 13 August 2026, he entered his vehicle with his client to return to Abuja. A woman subsequently entered the vehicle, identified herself and attempted to re-arrest his client.

Mr. Adah stated that he challenged the attempted re-arrest, following which a disagreement ensued. He parked the vehicle, after which the woman allegedly called other police officers to the scene. According to Mr. Adah, the officers who arrived beat both him and his client before taking them to the police station.

He further informed the Branch delegation that the dispute for which his client was being prosecuted relates to the aforementioned land matter in Mararaba, and that the police had become hostile towards him because of his previous successful defence of his client in the Makurdi proceedings.

Most significantly, Mr. Adah reiterated that he believed his continued professional representation of his client, despite an alleged warning from ASP Danjuma to withdraw from the matter, was the reason for his subsequent persecution.

THE THREE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MR. ADAH
Mr. Adah further informed the Branch leadership that while he was in police detention on Saturday, 15 August 2026, the police brought a charge to him containing allegations of:

1. Criminal Conspiracy;
2. Kidnapping; and
3. Threat to Life.
   Mr. Adah emphatically denied the allegations and described the charges as trumped-up allegations designed to punish him for his professional conduct and continued representation of his client.

The Branch leadership is not oblivious to the seriousness of these allegations. However, we equally insist that every allegation against a citizen, including a legal practitioner, must be investigated and prosecuted strictly in accordance with the law and without the use of police powers as an instrument of intimidation or retaliation.

MEETING WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
After meeting with Mr. Adah, the Branch delegation was joined by Danjuma Mohammed, Esq., Vice Chairman of NBA Lafia Branch and Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of NBA Lafia Branch, who had been actively interfacing with the police authorities since the arrest.

Together, the delegation proceeded to the office of the Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State Command, CP Shettima Mohammed, where the Branch formally submitted an application seeking the release of Mr. Adah on administrative bail.

The delegation thereafter sought an audience with the Commissioner and met with him in his office. Regrettably, the interaction was, from our perspective, extremely disappointing.

The Commissioner was hostile to the delegation and rejected the pleas for Mr. Adah’s release. He stated that the police had already filed charges before a court and that, consequently, he could not grant the Branch’s request for administrative bail.

The Commissioner further stated, without prompting from the delegation, that he do not interfere in cases involving ownership of land such as the matter in question.

The meeting ended with the Commissioner ordering the delegation to leave his office.

BRANCH LEADERSHIP’S CONCERN
The Branch leadership is deeply concerned by the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of our colleague, particularly the sequence of events, the allegations made by Mr. Adah, the threat to him to withdraw from his client’s matter, the timing of his arrest, the nature of the charges subsequently presented to him, and the refusal to release him on administrative bail.

While the Branch will not prejudge the criminal allegations against Mr. Adah, we are equally determined that the machinery of criminal justice must not be deployed to punish a lawyer for fearlessly representing his client.

The Branch is particularly concerned by what appears to be a troubling connection between Mr. Adah’s professional representation of his client and the circumstances leading to his arrest and continued detention.

SUDDEN REMAND AFTER BRANCH INTERVENTION

While the Branch delegation was returning from the police command after its unsuccessful meeting with the Commissioner of Police, we received information that, following the intervention of the Branch leadership, the police had hurriedly obtained a remand order from High Court No. 1, Lafia, resulting in the remand of Mr. Adah to a correctional centre Lafia.This remand order was obtained without arraignment or trial of Mr. Adah before the High Court.

APPLICATION FOR BAIL AT THE HIGH COURT.

We had earlier filed a bail application before the Nasarawa State High Court No. 6, Lafia.

The said bail application is expected to come up this week.

The Branch leadership is actively following the proceedings and will continue to provide every necessary support towards securing the release of our treasurer.

BRANCH POSITION

The leadership of NBA Nyanya-Karu Branch wishes to assure every member that we will not rest until our treasuser M.I Adah Esq is released from detention.

Mr. Adah is the serving Treasurer of NBA Nyanya-Karu Branch, Abuja, and a legal practitioner who, was carrying out his professional responsibility when this unfortunate chain of events commenced.

We reiterate that the fact that a lawyer challenges the exercise of police powers or insists on due process does not make the lawyer an enemy of the police or a criminal.
Lawyers must be free to represent their clients fearlessly.

If a lawyer is alleged to have committed an offence, the appropriate authorities are at liberty to investigate and, where justified, prosecute such allegation in accordance with the law. However, no lawyer should be arrested, assaulted, intimidated or persecuted merely because he refuses to abandon a client or challenges an action of the police in the course of professional duty.

APPEAL FOR URGENT INTERVENTION BY THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION

In view of the gravity of this matter and the circumstances surrounding the arrest, detention and subsequent remand of our Branch Treasurer, the leadership of NBA Nyanya-Karu Branch respectfully calls for the urgent intervention of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN; the Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, Prof. Uju Agomoh; and the President-Elect of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkasola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN to deploy their offices and good standing to immediately engage the relevant authorities, particularly the Inspector-General of Police and the Nasarawa State Police Command, and prevail upon them to ensure the protection of Mr. Monday Isah Adah, Esq., the restoration of his liberty in accordance with the law, and a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of his arrest, detention and remand. The Branch considers this matter not merely an issue concerning one lawyer, but a serious challenge to the independence, dignity and professional freedom of every Nigerian lawyer who must be able to represent clients fearlessly without intimidation, harassment or persecution.

CALL ON THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE

The Branch therefore calls upon the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, to urgently intervene in this matter.
We specifically call for:

1. An independent and impartial investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Adah’s arrest and detention;
2. Investigation into the allegation that Mr. Adah was warned to withdraw from representing his client;
3. Investigation into the circumstances surrounding the subsequent remand of Mr. Adah

Further updates will be communicated to members as developments arise.

Signed:

ALEXANDER EBI EDIM, ESQ.
Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Nyanya-Karu Branch, Abuja

MAZI ECHIKA EJIDO, ESQ.
Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association, Nyanya-Karu Branch, Abuja

18 August 2026

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