Video Shows Lawyer Brutally Assaulted While Serving Court Papers In FCT — Why Was He Acting As Bailiff?

A shocking assault on a lawyer near Gudu Market, Abuja, has sent ripples through Nigeria’s legal community, raising serious concerns about the safety of legal practitioners in the course of their duties.

The incident, captured in a viral video obtained exclusively by NewsNGR, shows a group of young men violently attacking the lawyer as he attempted to serve court processes at ITEMS Plaza.

In the disturbing footage, the assailants accuse the lawyer in Pidgin English of “hitting a woman,” with one yelling, “You dey hit the woman!” before delivering multiple slaps. As the lawyer tried to retreat toward his red Toyota Camry, he was physically overwhelmed. A brief struggle ensued when he attempted to defend himself, with women recording the incident shouting questions such as, “Where is the man’s child? Who sent you?” adding to the chaotic scene.

Eyewitnesses who recorded the event insist that the lawyer was not the aggressor and had only come to perform his professional duty. However, the attack erupted abruptly while the lawyer served the legal documents. The identities of the lawyer and the intended recipients, as well as details of the legal case involved, remain undisclosed.

Following the assault, police reportedly arrived and took the lawyer to a nearby station, though his condition has not been made public. Efforts by NewsNGR to obtain comments from the Abuja Police Command and the Nigerian Bar Association Secretariat were unsuccessful as of press time.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage and introspection within the legal community. Many lawyers questioned why the lawyer undertook the role of a bailiff, a responsibility traditionally assigned to court officials. “This incident highlights the dangers lawyers face when serving court processes alone in volatile environments,” said a senior advocate who reviewed the video, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Colleagues are now urging legal practitioners to avoid serving court documents by themselves, especially in areas prone to tension or hostility. They stress that delivering legal papers is not within a lawyer’s primary duties and recommend involving authorized court bailiffs or law enforcement personnel to ensure safety.