Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer, has been sent to prison by Ekaette Obot, the Akwa-Ibom State Chief Judge, for defending Savior Imukudo, a Premium Times reporter.

In a series of tweets, the lawyer said this happened while he was representing Leo Ekpenyong, a man accused of defaming Udom Emmanuel, the Akwa-Ibom State Governor, on Wednesday.

“The chief judge of Akwa Ibom ordered a Premium times reporter to leave the court. I said ‘my lord, we were thinking that since the proceeding is public, it is fitting that members of the public should be allowed to observe the proceeding,'” he said.

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Effiong said the judge ordered his immediate arrest as a result and demanded that he be jailed for one month. He said he had been taken to the Uyo Correctional Centre despite instant appeals by two lawyers.

“I will be going to the Uyo Correctional Centre now. I have done nothing wrong. I was also not given to say anything before the conviction. Two lawyers in court appealed to the hon. chief judge, but my lord insisted I must be jailed,” he said.

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“Unknown to me, my lord was writing a committal order to send me to Uyo prison. I wasn’t even given the opportunity to say anything. My lord just ordered me to remove my wig and gown, that I was going to prison.

“Meanwhile, we have a pending motion for my lord to disqualify and recuse himself from the case on grounds of bias or likelihood of bias. Justice will vindicate the just.”

According to the PUNCH, Obot said the lawyer would use the correctional facility to purge himself of actions that could bring the court into disrepute

After the first series of tweets, Effiong said he had been rejected at the Uyo Correctional Centre due to Covid-19 regulations. He said he was being taken back to the judge to determine the next line of action.

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