HUMAN rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has described the time he spent in the Ikot Ekpene Custodial Facility in Akwa Ibom State as “a very horrible period.”
In July, The ICIR reported that the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot, sent Effiong to jail for one month from the courtroom.
Justice Obot also ordered the arrest of a Premium Times reporter, Saviour Imukudo, who was in the court to cover Effiong’s case.
READ ALSO:
Human rights lawyer Effiong regains freedom after one month in custody
NLC slams Akwa-Ibom CJ, demands Inebehe Effiong’s release
How Akwa Ibom State Govt diverted Multi-Million Naira without evidence of project (1)
#ENDSARS protest, a natural response to state failure -Effiong
In an interview with the PUNCH, Effiong said that he was rejected from the Uyo Correctional Facility and thrown into Ikot Ekpene prisons, which was quite “horrible and disgusting.”
He said, “When I got to Ikot-Ekpene, I was admitted and immediately confronted with the reality of the abominable neglect of the correctional centre in the country. Even though the Ikot Ekpene Prisons building is relatively new, as it was recently renovated by former Governor Godswill Akpabio, life there is still very horrible.
“Most Nigerians may not know how bad the condition is until they experience it. I had to remove my shoes when I was admitted. They took my properties and took account of them. Then, I had to be shown the cell where I was going to spend two weeks. The custodial centre in Ikot-Ekpene is terribly and disgustingly congested.”
The lawyer said inmates were treated like animals as they did not even have a space to lie down.
“They sit with their legs tied and others sit close to them. That is the condition that some of them have had to live for years since their sentence. I was so enraged by what looked like an attempt to replicate the Nazi concentration,” he explained.
Effiong said the only way he could manage the experience was to cough out N50,000 to stay in a privileged cell as he could not stay in the dehumanizing condition he found the inmates at the facility.
He said, “The officers said it would cost me N50,000. I knew I had just two weeks to stay, but I had to pay that money so I could get a space. There were three of us in the room. There was no bed; there was just a small mattress. I adjusted. As I said, I had always mentally prepared for incarceration.
“So, we had to sleep on the floor. There was no net for me to shield myself from mosquitoes. I had to share the toilet with other people. It wasn’t palatable. But that is what people even consider to be one of the best in the country. I don’t think that is even fit for any inmate in this country to be kept.”
I am back, stronger and more determined to confront the forces of oppression and to continue to speak nothing but the hard truth to the faces of the oppressors of our people. I feel sorry for those who thought they can break my spirit by incarcerating me.
— Inibehe Effiong (@InibeheEffiong) August 26, 2022
The activist singled out a certain Enobong Gideon Eyoren as the officer who tortured him by brutalising and cuffing him. He added that his hair and beards were forcefully shaven.
He has vowed to seek justice for all cases instituted on his behalf while he was incarcerated.
Effiong, a human rights lawyer, was handling a case for his client before the judge sent him to prison. He gained his freedom yesterday
He said his incarceration had strengthened his resolve to fight for truth and justice in Nigeria.
Experienced Business reporter seeking the truth and upholding justice. Covered capital markets, aviation, maritime, road and rail, as well as economy. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow on Twitter @theminentmuyiwa and on Instagram @Hollumuyiwah.