Dr Fabian Ihekwueme, a good governance advocate, and former Imo Commissioner, has strongly condemned the invitation extended to lawyer and social critic, Chinedu Agu, following his widely publicized Diary of a Lawyer, describing the invitation as a “shameful hunt of justice”.
Read his comments below:
I, Dr. Fabian Ihekweme (OMU), An indomitable champion of justice and human rights, rise with resolute determination to obliterate the egregious police invitation to Barrister Chinedu Agu, Esq., by the Imo State Police Command.
This brazen act, cloaked under allegations of “criminal defamation” and “conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace,” is a sinister ploy to silence a courageous voice of truth.
Barrister Agu, a distinguished solicitor and former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association Owerri Branch, has boldly exercised his constitutional right to freedom of expression under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
His critiques—highlighting accountability deficits and comparing governance in Imo with neighboring states—strike at the heart of our collective demand for transparency, not as crimes deserving intimidation.
Yet, while the governments of other states are busy pulling their people out from the depth of poverty, our own government in Imo is busy hunting and clamping down on those telling them the truth. Barr. Chinedu Agu has not said anything to warrant police invitation.
This same government remains mute in the midst of all the killings in Imo State but moves swiftly to suppress dissenting voices.
This is no mere incident but a chilling assault on our democratic citadel, transforming dissent into a target for repression.
I demand that the Commissioner of Police, Imo State, and the authorities retract this invitation forthwith and halt the persecution of Agu. Let justice reign, not tyranny.
The voices of conscience like Agu’s must thunder forth, not be silenced. Failure to act will ignite a resolute uprising for the accountability our state yearns for”, he said.