Representatives of the South-East Human Rights Action Group and experts working in Southeast Nigeria, have expressed outrage over the continued detention and persecution of a human rights defender and Chairperson of Enugu State Civil Society Network, Emmanuel Acha, allegedly by the Ebonyi State Government.
The News Chronicle learnt that Acha was arrested in Enugu in March 2025 and transferred to Abakaliki Prison in Ebonyi State.
It was gathered from both his family and close associates, that the arrest was orchestrated in retaliation for a civil suit he filed in December 2024, challenging the Ebonyi Government’s actions in relation to the protracted Effium-Ezza land dispute in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Speaking to newsmen on the development, the Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS), Abia State, Chuka Okoye, they are concerned not just about Acha, but also about the future of the democracy, civil and political rights in Ebonyi State and Nigeria at large.
He regretted that since April 2025, Comrade Acha has been held like a common criminal, his crime being nothing more than standing up for the rights and fair treatment of the Effium people in court.
Okoye noted that instead of looking into Acha’s complaints about the infringement and derogation of their constitutional rights as a people which was in issue, the Ebonyi State Government through the Police Command has weaponised the criminal justice system against him, fabricating a charge to silence his voice.
“We have seen this movie before; the intimidation of activists, the denial of bail, the smearing of reputations, all tactics designed to silence and instill fear in anyone daring to challenge the power that be. But we refuse to be cowed.
“Sections 35, 36, 39, and 6(6)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) guarantee every Nigerian the right to liberty, fair hearing, free expression, and access to the courts. The refusal to grant Comrade Acha bail, coupled with credible reports of physical assault and psychological torture in the detention facilities he has been held, is a naked abuse of power and against fundamental human rights.
“We remind Ebonyi State Government under the leadership of Governor Francis Nwifuru, that a true democrat does not preside over the criminalisation of dissent. A leader who turns a blind eye to such injustice will be remembered not for peace, but for repression.
“We demand the immediate and unconditional freedom for Comrade Acha, not tomorrow, not next week, but now, the total withdrawal of all trumped-up charges by the Ebonyi State government against his person, the public exposure and prosecution of every public official and police officer who abused their power in this case, and full access to medical care, legal counsel, and family visits for Acha until he is released,” he said.
On his part, the Executive Director of Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma expressed worry over Governor Nwifuru’s silence despite the petitions and calls from the civil society, noting that the silence is not neutrality, but complicity.
“By turning the police into a private enforcement squad to crush dissent, the Ebonyi State Government is sending a message that no activist, journalist, or citizen is safe. It is trampling on the Constitution, spitting on the courts, and mocking every promise of peace in Effium-Ezza.
“Governor Nwifuru, you have the power to end this injustice today. Every day you remain silent, you confirm to the world that you value political revenge over justice. And history has a long memory.
“Free Acha now, or stand forever marked as the governor who jailed justice,” Nwanguma posited.
