Group Frowns At Media Trial Of Suspects By Police In Akwa Ibom

By Patrick Titus, Uyo

The Akwa Ibom Human Rights Community (AKHRC) has decried the parade and media trial of suspects by the Police Command in Akwa Ibom State while in its detention as illegal and unconstitutional.

The Rights group argued that until a suspect is declared guilty of an offence by the court of competent jurisdiction, a suspect remains not guilty of the offence as declared by the police.

Doing otherwise as currently noticing in practice by the police command in the state constitutes a violation of the fundamental human rights of every suspect, given the negative shaping of public opinion against the suspect.

Addressing a press conference in Uyo, Clifford Thomas Esq. Convener of AKHRC flanked by the Public Relations Officer, Dr Victor David and the Executive Director of COMPPART Foundation, Saviour Akpan, mentioned of a particular concern of police impunity, the case of a-60 year old Chief Edet Asuquo Okon, the Village Head of Asiak Obufa Effiat in Mbo local government area of the state.

It would be Recalled that the Akwa Ibom State Police through its Public Relations Officer DSP Timfon John had in a press release on Wednesday said the operatives of the command acting on intelligence arrested the village head for being in illegal possession of an assault AK-47 rifle and two empty magazines. She added that the suspect was arrested at the scene without incident on March 24, 2026.

Following the release, the story was in the news all over Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria, that a Village Head had an assault rifle (AK47) in his possession.

But the Human Rights Community, disturbed by what it described as media trial by the Police command, wondered how a suspect would be hurriedly paraded to the media without comprehensive and discreet investigation.

Thomas blamed the police for only telling the public about the discovery and recovery of the gun without availing them with the story behind the incident.

Also alarmed with the level of media trial by the Police, he said AKHRC decided to conduct an independent investigation into the incident which was that of the 60-year-old village head.

He said findings from the village head’s community showed that in January 2026, Marine Security with a combined team of security, repelled invading pirates and marauders in the Efiat/Unyenge axis of the State which was a public knowledge by the governor and the Commissioner for Internal Security Affairs

He added that on March 15, 2026, two young men from the community found a gun covered with mud in the bushes of the community and took the gun to the palace of the village head, who informed the Chairman of the Local Government Area who then advised him to wait, to enable him arrange how the gun will be retrieved from him by the authorities and given to the Commissioner of Police.

He said when the Chairman was no longer forthcoming, the village head contacted Marine Security in the area on the situation, who then promised to contact the commissioner on how to retrieve the gun since the village or the youth cannot carry it in a public transport to police station.

He said, the village head while waiting for the operatives of sector 2 of the Marine Security to come for onward movement to the police command; police operatives came and arrested, retrieved the gun and a media trial was immediately conducted, vilifying and disparaging of his person.

Condemning the act, AKHRC said, “The DPO, Mbo and the Chairman of the Local Government Area should be investigated to ascertain their motive of arresting the village head, and rushing the matter to the media.

“The illegal and unconstitutional act of Media Trial of suspects and parades while the courts have not declared a person guilty of an offense, must stop. It constitutes a violation of the Fundamental Rights of every suspect. The negative shaping of public opinion against suspects, before trial and conviction, must stop. It is bad policing, in view of global best policing practice.

“Until people shout out and say this is wrong, they will keep doing it and we are saying no to it.

“The Commissioner of Police should cause the immediate release of Chief Edet Asuquo Okon from custody of the police, and allow him to attend a medical facility to receive treatment for his ailing health. He is so sick that he is urinating blood. He has a history of raised blood sugar and high blood pressure.

“Since the authorities were informed of the situation, it would have been proper to follow the procedure of retrieving the gun as promised, and he should be rewarded for not allowing the gun to fall into wrong hands,” AKHRC stated.