The President of Women Arise, Joe Okei-Odumakin, has called for the unconditional release of a human rights lawyer, Barrister Inibehe Effiong
Barrister Inibehe Effiong was sentenced to prison by Ekaette Obot, Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom after the lawyer reportedly said he did not feel safe in court.
Okei-Odumakin, in a statement on Sunday, described the abuse of Barrister Effiong in the Uyo prison, with his hair and beard forcefully scraped by the prison, as unlawful and a violation of the rights of the victims.
An excerpt is the full text of the press release.
The Travail of Inibehe Effiong & our frequently tragic judicial process.
We see the picture of scraping in the incarceration of a man used to barbing.
We see the picture of a man summarily sentenced t beard-shearing instead of shaving. sitting on the bare floor instead of a seat.
We hear from lawyers about devious devices to keep appeal processes at bay and enforce jaundiced justice.
While we await the truth or denial of these reports, we call on all the authorities relevant to this eyesore to save the day by effecting the immediate release of Barrister Inibehe Effiong, after which a clean court process should commence to effect lawful measures on whoever is/are responsible for this national embarrassment and disrepute.
We should not close our eyes to this brazen disregard for human dignity and rights in 2023 Nigeria.
People have fought, bled, suffered detention and died so that this would stop. It must stop.
