Amnesty International has condemned what it described as the use of administrative procedures to prolong the ordeal of Agba Jalingo, who has been in prison since August 2019.
Jalingo, a journalist and Publisher of Cross River Watch, was arrested and has been in detention for publishing an article questioning the whereabouts of N500m approved for Cross River State Microfinance Bank.
AI, who sent a team to the Federal High Court in Calabar on Wednesday to witness the proceedings, expressed disappointment over what appears to be “use of technicalities to prolong the ordeal of Agba Jalingo.”
“Today, the trial of Agba Jalingo was stalled, again,” said Isa Sanusi, Spokesperson for AI in Nigeria, adding that the rights organisation “calls on federal authorities and Governor Ben Ayade to immediately release Agba Jalingo.”
Amnesty International had declared Jalingo a prisoner of conscience detained for his critical opinions.
Aside Jalingo, Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare were declared prisoners of conscience after being detained over their critical opinions.
