Group congratulates Emmanuel Acha on court victory, hails activists’ doggedness
2 min read
By Perpetua Onuegbu
Abuja, Dec. 18, 2025 (NAN) A CSO, Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), has congratulated Emmanuel Acha, an Ebony-based human rights activist, on his discharge and acquittal by court after over 200 days of detention.
The Executive Director of FENRAD, a human rights advocacy organisation, Nelson Nwafor, in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, described the court’s decision as a victory for the rule of law and protection of the civic space in Nigeria.
According to Nwafor, Acha’s ordeal represents a troubling pattern in which activists and community advocates are subjected to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) and other coercive state actions for peacefully exercising their constitutional rights.
Nwafor commended the Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCS) and Spaces for Change (S4C) for their unwavering intervention, sustained advocacy and legal support throughout the period.
He said that their collective efforts ensured that Acha was not abandoned and that his case remained in the public consciousness, reinforcing the importance of solidarity within the civic space.
“FENRAD particularly applauds the courage and resilience of Emmanuel Acha, whose commitment to justice and community rights remained steadfast despite prolonged incarceration and intimidation.
“His release reaffirms that truth, persistence and collective action can overcome repression,” he said.
Nwafor stated that the ‘landmark outcome’ underscored the urgent need for ending criminalisation of civic engagement, respecting the rights of human rights defenders and ensuring that state institutions were not weaponised to silence dissenting voices.
He expressed FENRAD’s commitment, alongside civil society partners, to defending human rights, promoting accountability and protecting Nigeria’s shrinking civic space.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FENRAD is a frontline human rights and environmental justice organisation working to promote good governance, accountability, civic participation and protection of human rights in Nigeria. (NAN)
