By Folorunsho Olumuyiwa

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, has initiated renewed collaboration with key security agencies in Bayelsa State through strategic courtesy visits to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to strengthen institutional synergy and bolster respect for the rule of law.

Led by its Chairman, Clement B. Kekemeke, Esq., the NBA delegation visited the Bayelsa State Director of the DSS, Mr. Adedapo Amao, and the FRSC Sector Commander, Corps Commander Prince I. Abosi, at their respective offices in Yenagoa. The visits come amid growing concerns around due process, professional conduct, and security-sector accountability in the state.

At both engagements, the NBA Chairman emphasized the urgency of reinforcing partnerships between the legal profession and security agencies, highlighting the crucial role of such alliances in crime prevention, justice delivery, and civil protection.

According to Kekemeke, “Our shared commitment to justice, national security, and public safety demands a deliberate synergy between the legal community and the nation’s security institutions. Legal practitioners must be accorded professional respect in the discharge of their duties and should not be treated as adversaries by security operatives.

The NBA Chairman recalled the Bar’s prior interaction with the DSS during the distressing kidnapping of Hon. Justice E. G. Omukoro and lauded the agency’s efforts in responding to the crisis. He also underscored the importance of swift prosecution of criminal suspects, which he described as a necessary deterrent to lawlessness and an essential function in upholding the rule of law.

During the meeting with the FRSC, Kekemeke raised concerns over alleged illegal practices by road officers, including the unauthorized confiscation of vehicle documents and imposition of fines without legal backing. He urged the Corps to maintain strict adherence to legal protocols, and proposed collaborative initiatives such as legal education, public engagement, and pro bono representation for traffic crash victims.

In response, DSS Director Adedapo Amao commended the NBA for its ongoing support, particularly during security emergencies, and assured the legal community of continued cooperation. “The DSS remains committed to ridding society of criminal elements, and we welcome the Bar as a crucial ally in ensuring justice and security,” he said.

FRSC Commander Prince I. Abosi also welcomed the NBA’s intervention and described the legal profession as an indispensable partner in road safety enforcement. He proposed a pioneering initiative to integrate members of the NBA Yenagoa Branch as Special Corps Marshals in a newly envisioned legal compliance unit, reinforcing the Corps’ public engagement and legal literacy agenda.

The visits underscore the NBA’s broader agenda to assert legal professionalism in governance and law enforcement while positioning the Bar as an enabler of good governance, public safety, and institutional accountability.

The NBA Chairman was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Vice Chairman Dr. Beimonyo Vivien Brisibe; Secretary Timipa Henry Theophilus, Esq.; Provost Nathaniel Lokoson, Esq.; Rev. Godfrey Otiotio (Ex Officio); YLF Chairman Funakpo D. Gita, Esq.; Publicity Chair Nelson Abali, Esq.; Social Secretary Gloria I. Owen; Financial Secretary Ebitaritari J. Allison, and Theresa Ebi Tobuyei Esq., among others.