More than 100 lawyers, including 20 Senior
Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), would be assembled
to defend Mr. Joachim Chinakwe Iroko, who has
been in detention for naming his dog ‘Buhari’.
According to Barr. Inibehe Effiong, convener of the
Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (COHRD),
who disclosed this on Thursday, it was a move
against “injustice, tyranny and arbitrariness.”
Also, a similar group has emerged in Abuja
declaring that they would ensure that Iroko’s
rights are fully protected even if it requires
pursuing the case beyond Nigeria’s courts.
The group, led by Mr. Joseph Adamu of the
Coalition Against Human Rights Abuse (CAHRA),
said it would assemble lawyers that would
properly assist those who have begun free judicial
representation for Iroko even as the group said it
would raise financial assistance if needed.
Iroko was arrested last week for naming his dog
‘Buhari’, which was deemed offensive by some of
his neighbours in an area said to be populated
with the President’s supporters.
The police stepped in to arrest him but set him
free immediately.
He was later re-arrested in what the Ogun State
Police Command termed “an attempt to cause
ethno-religious violence.”
Iroko was subsequently charged to court and has
failed to raise the cost of the bail bond of N50,000.
At the time of this report, he was still in Ibara
Prison in Ogun State.
Effiong said, “I wish to inform the public that two
spirited members of the public responded to my
appeal for assistance to Mr. Joe Chinakwe. The
first person donated the sum of N40,000 yesterday
while the second donated N50,000 this morning.”
He has launched a social media appeal to first
meet the bail bond and the cost of defence.
“Thus a total sum of N90,000 has been donated to
settle the legal fees. Recall that I sought N80,000
for this purpose.
“Once again, I wish to reiterate that I am not the
counsel to Chinakwe. I have no personal interest
whatsoever in the matter.
“My intervention in this case is purely based on
my conviction that his arrest, detention and trial is
unconstitutional, oppressive and vindictive. We
cannot all submit to injustice, tyranny and
arbitrariness.
“Anyone that is still in doubt about the political
nature of this case should search his inner
conscience closely. Those using ethnicity, religion
and political sentiments to obfuscate this case
should know that Nigeria is a country of laws,” he
said.
The rights activist stressed that the human rights
community would not sit back and watch innocent
citizens being traumatised and dehumanized.
“The fact that the two persons who donated this
money are from the North and the South-West,
respectively, shows that the bonds of brotherhood
and egalitarianism among patriotic Nigerians are
superior to the whimsical and repulsive
commentaries of ethnic and religious bigots.
“We are currently assembling a team of public
interest cum human rights lawyers (we are
targeting 100 lawyers or more) for the defence of
Chinakwe, pro bono, from the next court sitting if
the police insist on going ahead with this case.
“On the request of the wife of Chinakwe, I wish to
convey my appreciation to the donors. May God
replenish them.
“All things being equal, Chinakwe will be out of the
prison custody in the coming hours,” he promised