Enugu: CSOs condemn activist’s detention, demand release

Acha

A coalition of civil society organisations under the banner of the Action Group on Free Civic Space has raised the alarm following the alleged prolonged detention of a human rights advocate, Comrade Emmanuel Acha.

Speaking at a media briefing held in Lagos on Wednesday, the coalition, led by Okechukwu Nwanguma, condemned the arrest, alleged torture, and ongoing prosecution of Acha, who is also the Chairperson of the Enugu State Civil Society Network.

According to the group, Acha was reportedly arrested in Enugu in April 2025 and transferred to a prison facility in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The CSOs added that his arrest was believed to be linked to a lawsuit he filed in December 2024 (Suit No: FHC/AI/CS/FHR/221/24), challenging the state government’s handling of the long-running Effium-Ezza communal crisis in Ohaukwu Local Government Area.

“Comrade Acha was arrested in Enugu at about 5:00 AM in April 2025 and transferred to Abakaliki Prison in Ebonyi State. According to his family and close associates, the arrest was orchestrated in retaliation for a civil suit he filed in December 2024 — Suit No: FHC/AI/CS/FHR/221/24 — challenging government actions in relation to the protracted Effium-Ezza land dispute in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

“This land conflict, which escalated into inter-communal violence in 2021, has drawn multiple state interventions, including the 2023 ceasefire agreement, the 2024 Bishop Michael N. Okoro Peace Committee, and the 2025 amnesty and deradicalisation programme. While we commend these measures, we strongly condemn the use of state power and police machinery to punish dissenting voices under the guise of conflict resolution,” Nwanguma narrated.

The coalition alleged that Acha was arrested without a warrant, physically assaulted, and had been detained for over three months without proper medical care. Punch