Inibehe Effiong, a lawyer, has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release Baron Nnamdi, an ad executive.
Nnamdi was arrested in Enugu State for “offensive 2023 election messages” on two billboards.
Effiong said in a statement that the EFCC’s reasons for their action are “baseless, false, and legally unfounded.”
The lawyer stated that using the commission’s logo or name is not a criminal offense in and of itself.
He insisted that no section of the (Establishment) Act, 2004 makes the mere use of the name or logo illegal.
Citizens have a constitutional duty to assist law enforcement agencies in the discharge of their functions, according to Section 24 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), according to Effiong.
He advised the EFCC to reward citizens who engage in rigorous public education campaigns against economic and financial crimes rather than punishing or persecuting them.
“In essence, the Concerned Enugu Citizens in Scotland who sponsored the adverts are only discharging their constitutional duty. The message in the billboards is patriotic and timely.
“What offence has the advertisement executive committed to warrant his arrest by the EFCC?”, he quipped.
Effiong told the commission that “Offensive EFCC Campaign Adverts” as alluded to by the EFCC is not an offence known to law in Nigeria.
He urged the commission to immediately release the advertisement executive, publicly apologize to him, and pay him adequate compensation for the malicious damage to his billboards.
“The Commission should arrest the corrupt politicians in Enugu State and the rest of the country who are using stolen public funds to promote their insatiable political campaigns and ambition”, the statement added.