Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has issued a direct and uncompromising warning to the Imo State Government and its security agencies, cautioning them against reviving an old criminal case involving lawyer and human rights activist Chinedu Agu. In a statement dated September 11, 2026, signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, the organisation said the reported development should concern every Nigerian who values the rule of law and the protection of civic space. RULAAC was reacting to what it described as an “ominous account” by Agu himself concerning the reported revival of a criminal matter that had effectively gone dormant. The group’s intervention comes at a critical moment in a long-running confrontation between Agu, a former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Owerri Branch, and the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma, and it raises fundamental questions about the use of state power against dissent in Nigeria’s South-East.
Agu is not a stranger to controversy. He has built a reputation as one of Imo State’s most vocal critics of government excesses, representing citizens in cases involving alleged human rights violations and police abuses. His troubles began in September 2025, when the Imo State Police Command arrested him over allegations of criminal defamation and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. The charges stemmed from two articles he published: “Tears from Enugu: A Lawyer’s Heartbreaking Diary from a State that Works to a State in Ruins” and “Imo State — Where Justice Is on Vacation During Court Vacation.” The Imo State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, responded by describing Agu’s writings as “satanic verses,” a phrase that echoed the language of religious condemnation rather than legal argument. Agu was arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court in Owerri on charges including cyberstalking, defamation, inciting civil disturbances, and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody, spending 28 days in prison before his release in October 2025 following a court order.
The Nigerian Bar Association condemned the police invitation at the time, describing it as an abuse of police powers and warning against attempts to criminalise criticism of government officials. Human rights lawyer Chidi Odinkalu described the charges against Agu as “trumped-up,” and Amnesty International later included his detention in its account of human rights developments in Nigeria. RULAAC also condemned the prosecution. In its latest statement, the organisation said the reported circumstances would be particularly troubling if they involved attempts to resurrect matters connected to Agu’s previous arrest and detention, especially where aspects of those proceedings had already been challenged in court. “If an old criminal file that had effectively gone dormant is now being revived against a lawyer who has remained outspoken in challenging alleged abuses of power, the authorities must understand that the circumstances will inevitably raise legitimate questions about motive, timing and abuse of prosecutorial discretion,” RULAAC said.
The group was careful to acknowledge that no one is above the law. “No lawyer, journalist, activist or citizen is above the law,” it said, adding that where credible evidence exists that an offence has been committed, “the law should take its course through a transparent, impartial and constitutionally compliant process.” But it drew a clear line at the weaponisation of criminal justice for political ends. “But criminal justice must never be weaponised to punish dissent, intimidate critics or settle political scores,” the organisation declared. RULAAC said Agu’s professional work as a lawyer and his criticism of alleged abuses by government authorities should not be treated as evidence of criminality. “His professional responsibility as a lawyer includes defending citizens whose rights are violated and speaking against abuses of state power. Those activities cannot legitimately be converted into grounds for persecution.”
The organisation urged the Attorney-General, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Nigeria Police Force to exercise their powers independently and in accordance with the law. “Their powers belong to the law, not to individual officeholders,” RULAAC said. “Prosecutorial discretion must be exercised independently, fairly and in the public interest—not at the prompting of political displeasure.” It challenged the authorities to follow due process if there is a genuine criminal case against Agu. “If there is a genuine case against Chinedu Agu, let the authorities disclose the allegation, follow due process and allow an independent court to determine it,” it said. RULAAC specifically warned against what it described as an “abduction-style arrest,” unnecessary interstate rendition, prolonged detention, denial of access to counsel, or any other action calculated to humiliate or intimidate the lawyer. “And if the objective is simply to silence an inconvenient voice, those contemplating such a course should reconsider,” the group said.
The organisation invoked Nigeria’s history of using state security and criminal justice institutions against outspoken citizens. “Nigeria has travelled this road too many times,” RULAAC said, arguing that previous attempts to suppress lawyers, journalists, and activists had sometimes strengthened rather than weakened their voices. “Speaking truth to power is not a crime,” it added. “The appropriate response to criticism is to answer it with facts, lawful conduct and accountable governance—not handcuffs.” RULAAC called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General of Imo State, and other authorities that may become involved in the matter to ensure that every action concerning Agu complies with the Nigerian Constitution, the Police Act, applicable criminal procedure laws, and Nigeria’s human rights obligations. “The public will be watching,” the organisation warned.
The latest development comes against the backdrop of Agu’s continued criticism of the Imo State Government. As recently as September 2026, reports showed that he had been involved in another public dispute over alleged government financial support to NBA branches in Imo State and questions surrounding the appointment of a substantive Chief Judge. Agu had alleged that the government was courting the six NBA branch chairmen with a N350 million package to influence the appointment of a Chief Judge, and he had faced a 24-hour ultimatum from the branch leadership to retract his allegations or face disciplinary action. He refused to back down. That pattern—of Agu raising uncomfortable questions, the government responding with legal threats or criminal proceedings, and civil society rallying to his defence—has become a recurring feature of Imo State’s political landscape. The question now is whether the government will heed RULAAC’s warning and allow the law to take its course without turning it into a tool of political persecution, or whether Agu will find himself in handcuffs once again. The public, as RULAAC put it, will be watching.
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