The African Action Congress (AAC) has begun a mass mobilisation to press for the release of human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who was imprisoned by an Akwa Ibom High Court. 

Mr Effiong, AAC’s legal adviser, was illegally sent to one month imprisonment by the chief judge of Akwa-Ibom, Ekaette Obot, while defending his client, Leo Ekpenyong.

Mr Ekpenyong had been standing trial over a defamation of character suit filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel.

Mr Ekpenyong had accused the governor of greasing the palms of the Chairman of the 2019 Election Petition Tribunal in the state, Justice W. Akanbi, to influence the judgment in favour of the then PDP senatorial candidate, Obong Chris Ekpenyong. 

The AAC, in a statement issued on Sunday, condemned the continued incarceration of Mr Effiong by the Akwa Ibom Chief Judge. 

“Our party would therefore commence our own political actions to #FreeInibeheNow as we are tired of watching this judicial rascality continue,” the party proclaimed in a statement signed by spokesman Femi Adeyeye. “By this statement and other memos, the National Working Committee is setting into motion all structures nationwide to kick-start political actions, petitions to the National Judicial Council and massive protests to strategic political points until our Comrade is released.”

Appearing before the judge, Mr Effiong had observed the presence of two armed policemen sitting behind him in the courtroom and prayed the court to excuse them as their presence made him uncomfortable.

“My Lord, as a legal practitioner, I have never seen armed policemen with Ak47 inside the courtroom. With total respect, my Lord, I don’t feel comfortable as a lawyer in this atmosphere, with armed policemen seated behind me.  

“I am formally raising the observation that the atmosphere of the courtroom is hostile for the proceedings. I’m also raising observations that my Lord should ask them to leave the court, they have no business being here,” he told the court. 

Irked by Mr Effiong’s observations, Justice Obot lamented that she has run out of patience with the “excesses and unruly behaviour” of the human rights lawyer. 

She later ordered the conviction warrant of the lawyer. 

Different socio-cultural groups in the country have condemned the sentencing of Mr Effiong to prison by Ms Obot.