Amnesty International (AI) has said Cross River state is ‘becoming a den repression’.
Addressing journalists in Calabar on Thursday, the organization’s media manager, Isa Sanusi called on the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade and President Muhammadu Buhari to cease from harassment and detention of critics.
Sanusi urged Ayade to release detained journalist, Agba Jalingo unconditionally from detention.
“Cross River is becoming a den of repression where an increasing number of people are being clamped into detention. Cross River government is very high-handed and repressive. We have written to him (governor) several times over the situation in the state as well as continued incarceration of Agba Jalingo but Gov Ayade never bothered to respond.
“We are concerned that Agba Jalingo’s trial falls short of international standards of fairness, especially because the court has allowed witnesses to be masked and trial to be held in secret.
“The flawed charges and sham trial of Agba Jalingo had exposed the inadequacies and manipulation of the Nigerian criminal justice system and an unacceptable contempt for human rights and the rule of law.
“Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari must stop filing bogus and politically-motivated charges against critics and start listening to what they have to say.
“The pattern of repression in Cross River State flagrantly violates the Nigerian constitution of 1999 as amended, and International and Regional Human and Peoples’ rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party” he said.
