The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Okey Wali, has absolved lawyers from the high number of awaiting trial suspects in Nigerian prisons but rather put the blame on several factors which include arbitrary arrest of innocent citizens by police among others.

Mr Wali, while speaking with Channels TV in Ilorin, noted that judges should not grant the request of lawyers who seek for unnecessary adjournment in order to reduce prison congestion while also lamented lack of vehicles by prison warders to convey suspects to courts among other factors responsible for high number of awaiting trial suspects in prisons.

Commenting on the letter written to the presidency to reinstate the retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami by the National Judicial Council (NJC) but which was not implemented; the NBA president absolves the president of any blame citing several court cases pending then as stumbling block in order not to incur the wrath of the courts.

On the issue of the one representative allotted to the bar for the national conference, the president insisted that the bar will not accept until the slot is increased wondering how others could be given higher slots.