RULAAC, Falana flay police over Agba Jalingo, call for his release

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has condemned the siege laid on the residence of Agba Jalingo, in Calabar, Cross River State, and his Lagos office.
 
According to a statement by RULAAC, yesterday, unidentified men in mufti laid siege to the Lagos home of the publisher, on Friday, August 19, 2022, during which his wife and daughter were reportedly taken, hostage.
 
The Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, expressed utter shock over the news.
 
He stated: “His office in Calabar, Cross River State, was besieged and his staff held hostage by unknown persons. While those who besieged his office in Calabar took flight upon sighting policemen and State Security Service (SSS) operatives (who arrived upon being alerted by Jalingo’s staff), he was eventually arrested by police officers in Lagos for alleged defamation of character of the wife of Frank Ayade, brother to Governor Ben Ayade.
 

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, who, yesterday, called for Jalingo’s immediate release, said that he met up with Jalingo, at Area F Police Command, Ikeja, Lagos State, stressed that, “based on the information at my disposal, I was compelled to demand for his unconditional release since he has not contravened any provision of the Criminal Code. But the police officers informed me that his detention was ordered by the authorities in Abuja. Thus, at about 11 am this morning he was flown out of Lagos and he is currently being detained at the Criminal Investigation Department, Garki, Abuja.

In a statement, Falana said: “Since defamation is not a criminal offence the action of the Police is a flagrant breach of section 8(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and section 32(2) of the Police Establishment Act 2020, which have banned the police from arresting any person in Nigeria for civil wrong or breach of contract. Therefore, the police authorities should release Agba Jalingo unconditionally and advise the petitioner to sue for libel in a civil court.