About 23 human rights organisations had said the unfortunate incident has only succeeded in further deepening the trust deficit of the common man has with the courts
The Coalition for Revolution (CORE), the organisers of the #RevolutionNow, has announced plans to hold a protest on Thursday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State against the illegal imprisonment of human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong.
The Chief Judge of the State, Ekaette Obot on July 27, 2022, ordered the one-month imprisonment of Effiong over alleged contempt.
The human rights lawyer, who is also the National Legal Adviser of the African Action Congress (AAC), was in court to defend Leo Ekpenyong, a lawyer, in a libel suit filed by Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom.
Meanwhile, the illegal imprisonment has attracted condemnation from civil society organisations and many Nigerians.
The RevolutionNow convener and a presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore in a post on his Twitter handle on Wednesday announced a date for a protest to kick against the illegal action of the power-drunk judge.
He wrote, "#FreeInibeheEffiong protest will rock Uyo, Akwa Ibom state tomorrow. Please join us! #WeCantContinueLikeThis #Revolutionnow."
Similarly, a non-governmental organisation, ‘Nude Nigeria-The Best Man,’ in collaboration with Next-of-Kin and some concerned youths of Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State last Saturday, took to the streets to protest the incarceration of Effiong.
The protesters, who displayed placards with inscriptions such as: “Injury to one is injury to all”, “Free Inibehe Effiong Now!”, “Justice for Inibehe Effiong,” and “We demand immediate release of Inibehe,” called on to the Judge to immediately order the release of the lawyer.
Addressing journalists during the joint protest in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the convener of ‘Nude Nigeria-The Best Man’, Princess Mikki Attah, expressed disappointment over the continued incarceration of Effiong whom she described as a law-abiding citizen.
She said she decided to join other voices in calling for Effiong’s release after learning about how Effiong was sent to jail for asking the Chief Judge to send security men out of the courtroom.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, about 23 human rights organisations said the “unfortunate incident has only succeeded in further deepening the trust deficit of the common man has with the courts and can only lead to one path - self-help.”
They said the action of Obot was a calculated conspiracy aimed at destroying the judiciary.
“We have read with utter disgust the unlawful imprisonment of human rights lawyer, Barrister Inibehe Effiong by a power-drunk judge, Justice Ekaette Fabian Obot, Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State High Court, over purported claims of 'contempt'.
“Mr. Effiong, who was representing his client Leo Ekpenyong in the defamation case with suit numbers HU/279/2019 and HU/273/2019, instituted by Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and Senator Bob Effiong, was terribly humiliated by Justice Ekaette Obot in what will go down in history as a dark day in Nigerian democracy.
“If such cruel intimidations are not resisted and condemned, no lawyer will be able to speak up in the future when the court is playing tricks after striking dark deals with the petty bourgeoisie that populate our political class. This unfortunate incident has only succeeded in further deepening the trust deficit of the common man with the courts and can only lead to one path - self-help. This, in turn, will inevitably result in anarchy if there is no lawful resistance to arrest the situation.”
Those who signed the statement include the Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, CrossRiverWatch, We The People, Rivers State Civil Society Organisations, Foundation For Leadership And Citizens Development, CAMP Forum, Nigerian Observatory For Human Rights, Citizens Solutions Network, AAC, Take It Back Movement and Center for Community Empowerment in Conflict & Peace-building.