An Akwa Ibom State High Court on Wednesday remanded a lawyer Mr. Inibehe Effiong in jail for one month over alleged contemptuous and insulting behaviour in court.
Justice Ekaette Obot ordered that Inibehe Effiong use the correctional facility to review and purge himself of what he called “insolence and dishonorable acts that tend to bring the court to disrepute.”
The Court had sat in the case of libel by Governor Udom Emmanuel against Mr Leo Ekpenyong.
Effiong had gone to court on Wednesday with the aim of pressing for the judge to recuse herself from the case over suspected bias.
Speaking on the decision of the court, Counsel to Governor Emmanuel Udom, Samuel Ikpo said Effiong deserved what he got.
He accused Effiong of utterances that were profane and unexpected.
“I believe that when he comes out of the correctional facility, he will learn how to conduct himself before a court.
He wondered why Inibehe could disobey an order given to him by the judge, who asked him to take off his wig and step aside from the bar and he choose to remain obstinate.
“A lawyer should not allow himself to use one client to destroy his reputation before all the judges.
“I think Justice Obot has really been patient with him all these while,even as a lawyer, I could not tolerate the young lawyer’s conduct”. Barr Ikpo stated.
Explaining his side of the story, the lawyer posted, “I was at the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday to defend Sowore and the AAC. I flew into Uyo last night to defend Leo Ekpenyong in a libel suit filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel and Senator Effiong Bob against him over alleged libel. I have helped many people out of unlawful
detention. Going to prison myself will fortify me to fight harder for Nigerians who cannot fight for then.
EFFIONG IN HIS OWN WORDS:
The moment My Lord entered the Courtroom, His Lordship ordered the orderly attached to the court to go out and bring the armed policemen inside the courtroom. I started feeling that there was going to be trouble. After the Premium Times reporter was sent out, I raised the issue.
I applied to the Court to ask the armed policemen with AK47 to leave the courtroom, that it was not proper and that I felt extremely unsafe and uncomfortable. My Lord then started writing, I thought it was going to be a ruling on my application to excuse the officers.
Unknown to me, my Lord was writing 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 which.
History will vindicate the just.