The traditional chief of Esuku-Otu Ikot Ansa, Calabar, Chief Maurice Omin Iso, who won court cases related to land and chieftaincy issues against the Cross River State Government, was reportedly abducted from his house since 21 December 2024.
Reports had emerged that following the protests, Iso was transferred from secret detention to a DSS facility in Calabar.
In a petition addressed to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, lawyer and public activist Okoi Obono-Obla explained that Iso's only crime “is his recent legal victory in a land case against the Cross River State government and certain Politically Influential Persons of the Ikot Ansa community of Calabar Municipality rose up and threatened Iso, the complainant.
“These individuals threatened to use their connections within the government to intimidate and retaliate against him.”
Obono-Obla, a former presidential aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, appealed to the Attorney General to intervene, noting that Iso has been kept away from his family, legal representatives and loved ones for two weeks.
He said such abduction and detention has raised serious concerns about the rule of law and human rights in Cross River State.
“It is crucial that Mr. Iso be released without delay by those who are illegally holding him.
“His detention is a violation of his rights and undermines the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
It is imperative that he be released immediately and those responsible for his illegal detention held accountable.