Environmental activist condemns lawyers arrest in Akwa Ibom

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), a environmental non-governmental organisation has condemned the detention of Inibehe Effiong and Jackie Ikeotuonye who were arrested on 27th July 2022 and, 1st August 2022 respectively.

Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, said in a statement on Wednesday, “ it is outrageous and condemnable that citizens are oppressed in such a manner for demanding what is due them or exercising their rights.

“We denounce such an abuse of power and condemn these attempts to criminalize dissent,” he added.

In a press statement signed by Jasper Koikoibo, a lawyer and advocacy officer at HOMEF, said, “Mr. Effiong has a longstanding relationship with our organization and we know for a fact that he is a law-abiding citizen of Nigeria.

“ More so, he is a legal practitioner who is committed to the advancement of justice for the downtrodden and eschews disrespect for both the high and hoi polloi of Nigerian society.

“To treat the Temple of Justice, of which he is a committed Minister, with contempt, is not in his character as ‘convicted’ or at all.

“In any case, we are also fully informed that the learned judge adopted a unique legal procedure in convicting Mr. Effiong. The law is unambiguous in this respect: that where contempt is committed in the face of the court, the proper step is to put the alleged contemnor in the dock for an opportunity for him to show cause why he must not be punished for contempt.

“From all available reports, it does not appear that Chief Judge Obot followed this procedure in Mr. Effiong’s case.

“True freedom requires the rule of law and justice, and a judicial system in which the rights of some are not secured by the denial of rights to others. We, therefore, condemn in the strongest terms this untrammeled abuse of judicial/political authority, and call for the unconditional release of Inibehe Effiong, Esq. and Mrs. Jackie Ikeotuonye forthwith,” the statement concluded.