The Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State High Court, Justice Ekaette Obot, on Wednesday sentenced one human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong for allegedly questioning her order
The Network gathered that the lawyer, was sentenced to one month Imprisonment by the judge for questioning her order for sending Journalists out of the courtroom.
According to the lawyer, in a post through his Facebook page, Inibehe explained that trouble started when Justice Ekaette Obot asked a Premium Times reporter to leave the court.
But the lawyer felt it was unconstitutional to walk out the Journalist from the courtroom and queried the action of the Judge, since according to him, the hearing in the court was a public event.
He, however, asked the court to also send out the arm carrying security agents out of the courtroom.
Irked by the statement of the lawyer, the chief judge asked the lawyer to step out of the Bar and condemned him to one month imprisonment at Uyo Correctional facility.
“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, that members of the public should be allowed to observe the proceeding. My Lord asked me to proceed with cross examination
“I obeyed. I informed the court that I was not feeling comfortable and safe having two armed mobile policemen seated inside the courtroom, that it was strange and that I felt unsafe. I applied for the judge to excuse the armed policemen from the courtroom
“The Hon. Chief Judge then ordered me to step out of the Bar, that she was sending me to prison. She then ordered the policemen to take me to Uyo prison. And that I should be in jail for one month. I am waiting inside the courtroom for them to bring the conviction warrant.
“I will be going to the Uyo Correctional Centre now. I have not done anything. I wasn’t even given opportunity to say anything before the “conviction”. Two lawyers in court appealed to the Hon. Chief Judge but my Lord insisted that I must be Jailed,” Inibehe Effiong posted on his known Facebook page.
