Jalingo was arrested and charged to court by the Ben Ayade-led Cross River State Government over a publication about the finances of the state.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has commended the Nigerian Government over the release of pro-democracy campaigner and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, urging the administration to go further by releasing Agba Jalingo, another journalist held in detention.
This was contained in a statement by Deputy Director of the organisation, Kolawole Oluwadare, shortly after the release of Sowore on Tuesday.
Jalingo was arrested and charged to court by the Ben Ayade-led Cross River State Government over a publication about the finances of the state.
He said the government took “a positive step” by releasing the activist.
The organisation urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “immediately withdraw all charges against Sowore and Olaware Bakare and all others detained simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression. They should never have been charged in the first place.”
It also called for the “immediate and unconditional release of Agba Jalingo.”
Sowore was released two weeks after he was rearrested by operatives of the Department of State Services inside the Federal High Court in Abuja less than 24 hours after he was released on bail.
Prior to his re-arrest, Sowore had spent 125 days in detention despite multiple court orders directing his release.