Drawing The Line Between Personal Vendetta And Contempt Of Court Charges Against Effiong

On the 27th of July, a renowned human rights activist and lawyer, Inibehe Effiong raised an alarm through his official social media platforms that the Honorable Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot has sentenced him to one month imprisonment on charges bothering on contempt of court.

The public information surrounding the sentence which were made available by the victim and subsequent media reports and investigations are that Effiong was defending a libel suit filed by the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel against one Leonard Ekpenyong, who is also a lawyer.

Further details of the suit were that Ekpenyong had accused the Governor of bribing the Chairman of the 2019 Election Petition Tribunal for the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District election in the state, Justice W. O. Akanbi with $1.4million to influence the decision of the tribunal in favor of Senator Chris Ekpenyong of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over Senator Godswill Akpabio of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

On the fateful day that Justice Obot ordered the remand of the defence counsel in prison, a motion was said to have been filed by him for the Judge to recuse herself of the case, on allegation that the Judge has been biased and unfair in her handling of the case. The Judge reportedly ignored the motion and insisted that the trial proceeded...Read more: https://www.crispng.com/drawing-the-line-between-personal-vendetta-and-contempt-of-court-charges-against-effiong/