Judge sends human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong to prison

Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said he has been sent to prison for one month by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot, for no apparent offence.

Effiong disclosed this in his Facebook page on Wednesday.

“I have just been sent to Uyo prison by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot, for one month for defending Leo Ekpenyong in the libel suit filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel.”

He later posted details of the circumstances surrounding his remand on Twitter.

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He wrote, “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.

“I will be going to the Uyo Correctional Centre now. I have not done anything. I wasn’t even given the 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.”