CSO says CJ’s action premeditateded, describes imprisonment of human rights lawyer as intimidation
The Coalition of Civil Society Organization in Nigeria in conjunction with friends of Inibehe Effiong, Thursday protested against the continued incarceration of the human rights lawyer and called for his immediate and unconditional release.
Recall, Inibehe was sentenced to 30-days imprisonment by the Chief judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot, on July, 27,2022 for contempt of court.
The spokesperson of the coalition, comrade Enefaa Georgewill, while speaking with newsmen said, the CJ’s action was an attempt to subdue lawyers, so as to silence them anytime they have a case against any powerful individual in society.
“We are calling on the CJ to reverse herself; we are demanding for the immediate release of Inibehe Effiong, and we are equally calling on lawyers and litigants not to stand and watch.
“This is a ploy to intimidate lawyers so that they will not be able to speak. So that when you have any case against the rich, a governor, or anybody in power you will be scared, so this fight is not just about Inibehe. it is the fight for the soul of democracy”
He condemned the way and manner the lawyer was committed to prison, adding that from the accounts of what happened, the CJ acted premeditatedly
“We as a civil society believe in the sanctity of the court and we equally believe that only justice can pave way for any democratic society. But in the specific case of Inibehe and the way and manner he was sent to prison speak doom for the hallowed court.
“The NBA had previously said that assuming but not conceding that Inibehe was even wrong due process was not followed in his case.
“From all the accounts we have had from both parties, especially the media that was there, clearly, what happened was premeditated. In our years of going to Court, the only time you see a policeman as an orderly of the judge who stands behind the judge, not armed but at times with a short pistol. But on that fateful day, two mobile policemen with AK-47s were inside the court, this shows that all of these things were planned”
Also, speaking to the Coordinator, Coalition of Friends, Family, Colleagues For Inibehe Effiong, Mr Jonathan Abang-Ugal said, they have heard different perspectives of what transpired, noting that, their concern was for Inibehe Effiong to be released as the judiciary would go on vacation as from tomorrow.
In his remarks, a journalist and activist, Mr Ofonime Honesty, expressed disappointment with the former Attorney general and commissioner of Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN, whom he claimed had labeled the group as miscreants for protesting for the release of Inibehe Effiong.
“I am the convener of the right group called Citizen Liberation Movement. This is the second protest and by doing this we are not bullying the court. We are only asking for the release of Inibehe Effiong. I wish to react to the trending Video clip released by the former Attorney general, where he described us as miscreants.
“Peaceful demonstration is enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria. He labeled us as miscreants and even went ahead to threaten that he will slam the allegation of contempt of court against us. We wish to tell him that we are not miscreants in this group, I am a journalist, and we have lawyers in this group,” he said.
