A human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has been sentenced to one-month in prison by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Ekaette Obot.
Effiong who is handling a case for his client before Justice Obot’s court in Uyo disclosed this in a message he posted on his Twitter on Wednesday morning.
“I have been sent to Uyo prison by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot, for one month for defending Leo Ekpenyong in a libel suit filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel,” Effiong said.
The lawyer, who is based in Lagos, flew into Uyo for the case.
Another lawyer in Uyo confirmed that the judge pronounced the prison sentence against Effiong.
“The Chief Judge of Akwa 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,” he tweeted.
“I will be going to the Uyo Correctional Centre now. I have not done anything. I wasn’t even 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.”
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