Journalist and activist Citizen Agba Jalingo has strongly condemned the arrest and incarceration of Denis Odama, describing the action as a dangerous abuse of power and a violation of democratic principles.
In a statement titled “Denis Odama, The Drunkenness of Power and Democratic Limits,” Jalingo criticized the use of security agencies to intimidate and detain citizens for expressing dissent, calling the practice “primitive, archaic, stupid, egotistic, and prebendal.”
Jalingo argued that democracy, as practiced globally, necessarily subjects leaders to criticism and ridicule, citing examples from the United States and the United Kingdom where freedom of speech includes the right to offend.
“The practice of incessantly using security agencies to arrest, harass, intimidate, detain and incarcerate citizens for criticizing their government or public office holders is simply a show of infantile braggadocio and a futile attempt to stifle dissent,” he said.
He noted that in Lagos State, governors have historically endured public criticism without resorting to arrests, stressing that Nigeria must emulate the democratic practices of countries from which it borrowed its presidential system.
Jalingo condemned the reported involvement of individuals, including Ekpenyong Akiba and Pius Edet, who allegedly ordered police officers from Calabar to arrest Odama in Lagos. He warned that such actions denigrate democracy and ignore the transient nature of political power.
“Denis Odama has been incarcerated in Afokang prison by those who think they are powerful today, but no one knows what tomorrow will bring in return,” Jalingo stated.
The activist urged political leaders and public officials to desist from using state power to silence critics, insisting that freedom of association and expression are sacrosanct rights guaranteed under Nigeria’s constitution.
He concluded with a rallying call: #FreeDenisOdamaNow, demanding Odama’s immediate release and an end to what he described as the misuse of security agencies against citizens.
