by By In Inibehe Effiong
The case of “criminal defamation” instituted against Kufre Carter by the Akwa Ibom State Government has been struck-out today Friday the 20th day of November, 2020 by the Chief Magistrate Court of Akwa Ibom State presided over by Chief Magistrate Winifred Umohandy for want of diligent prosecution.
Kufre was arrested and arraigned in court in April by the State Security Service (SSS) on the instigation of a former Commissioner for Health in Akwa Ibom State, Dr Dominic Ukpong, over a viral audio message circulated on social media in which the said Dr Ukpong and the State Government were castigated for their poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our firm, Inibehe Effiong Chambers, represented him pro bono as part of our human rights programme.
The same Government that acted as if the world was going to end if Kufre was released, could not produce a single witness in court.
Dr Ukpong who was in a hurry to use the SSS to arrest Kufre in connivance with other officials of the Akwa Ibom State Government ran away from the court and did not show up at all.
Those who occupy political positions in Nigeria must realize that the era of using security agencies to hunt and persecute citizens unchallenged for expressing their views on issues of bad governance is over.
We will never tolerate such reckless abuse of power and cowardly acts of intimidation by politicians. We will continue to challenge their impunity within the ambits of the law.
History will vindicate the just.
