A judge in a State Superior Court, oopson Wednesday, he repeatedly threatened to jail a defense lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, in a trial in which Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state is a party.
Ekaete Obot, who is the state’s chief judge, lashed out at the lawyer, Mr. Effiong, who pleaded with the court to consider her request seeking the judge’s removal from the case after her client, Leo Ekpenyong, accused her of bias.
“I’ll send you out of there now, remove that rope and send you to prison by the time you go to the Court of Appeal and come back. What is this? He is overstepping his bounds,” Judge Obot lashed out at Mr. Effiong.
The court session was completely dramatic.
Judge Obot first ordered the police to temporarily confiscate the mobile phones of the observers inside the court to prevent any recording of the proceedings.
Inibehe Effiong
The plaintiff’s attorney, Samuel Ikpo, in the middle of the court session, accused the defense attorney, Mr. Effiong, of recording the court proceedings with his laptop, an act that led Mr. Effiong to turn his monitor to Mr. Ikpo to watch, while a proof that he was not recording.
The suits
Governor Emmanuel sued lawyer Ekpenyong for defamation for the post in which he accused the governor of “buying the judgment” of the 2019 National Assembly Electoral Court.
The court ordered Mr. Ekpenyong to pay the governor 1.5 billion naira as general damages for defamation.
In another libel suit between a former senator, Effiong Bob, and Mr. Ekpenyong, which is before the same judge, the court ordered Mr. Ekpenyong to pay 150 million naira in damages to Mr. Bob.
Both sentences were issued simultaneously on December 15, 2020 by Judge Obot.
The defendant’s lawyer, Mr. Effiong, on November 25, 2021 challenged the court claiming that he violated the Nigerian Constitution in his judgments against his client.
Judge Obot chastised Mr. Effiong for asking the court to vacate the two sentences and grant his request for an extension of time for his client to defend himself.
The case drew public attention last year when the judge lashed out at Effiong.
“You’re not on Channels TV, don’t stand in front of me and talk nonsense,” he had said.
However, the court overturned both sentences on February 16, 2022 and granted Mr. Effiong’s request for an extension.
‘recuse yourself from the matter’
Dissatisfied with his handling of the matter, the defendant filed a petition on June 23, asking the judge to recuse himself.
“The judge had already handed down a sentence even though he challenged Mr. Ekpenyong, where he asked him to pay Governor Emmanuel 1.5 billion naira,” Effiong told reporters after the hearing.
“We say that because you have already found the defendant guilty in this matter, it is only fair that the matter be reassigned to another judge consistent with legal practice.”
The defendant said that Judge Obot attended Mr. Bob’s daughter’s wedding even when Mr. Bob is a litigant in his court.
Mr. Effiong told reporters that it was against the code of conduct for court officials for the chief judge to attend such an event that was not a state function, adding that Mr. Bob was present in his courtroom. for the penultimate hearing.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Mr. Ikpo, declined to comment on the case.
Judge Obot continued to preside over the case despite Mr. Ekpenyong’s objection.
‘He’s bullying me’
Richard Peter, who is a priest in the African Church and a press aide to Governor Emmanuel, appeared as the Governor’s witness in the case.
Governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel.
He told the court that Mr. Effiong was bullying him, when the lawyer asked if his name, Peter, ends with an ‘r’ or ‘s’.
Mr. Peter told the court how he had a conversation with the defendant on Facebook Messenger after the defendant made the alleged anti-governor posts. He said that the accused told him that he would publish more things against the governor.
Mr. Peter had submitted a written statement on the matter on March 20, 2020, which he asked the court to admit into evidence.
Mr. Effiong challenged the admissibility of the provision, arguing that it did not comply with Section 84 of the Evidence Act.
He said that the document should have been presented with a certificate according to the law.
Mr. Ikpo, the plaintiff’s attorney, begged the court to dismiss defense counsel’s objection and admit the document into evidence. He said the “objection was unfounded.”
Judge Obot overruled Mr. Effiong and admitted the document into evidence. She said that the document was in accordance with the law.
Mr. Effiong drew the court’s attention to the fact that only one document was submitted, but the court admitted it and marked it as three exhibits.
“You have no knowledge of what a deposition is. Your appearance before me shows your ignorance of what a deposition means,” the judge told Mr. Effiong.
“It seems that the ruling of the court is different from the procedure. That is why we say consider our motion for recusal,” responded Mr. Effiong.
“Please shut up! Who do you think you’re talking to?” He attacked Mr. Effiong again.
“You demonstrate as if something is happening so that they (journalists) see your demonstrations and go and write nonsense in the press.
“I don’t care. I don’t care about all the bullshit. Now face your job and do it decently,” the judge said, adding that Mr. Effiong was free to take the matter to the Court of Appeal.
“Even (the Nigerian Judicial Commission) NJC, wow. I’m waiting for you there.
The drama continued as Mr. Effiong contested the postponed dates of July 27-29.
He showed the judge his schedule, and the dates didn’t suit him, but his protest didn’t deter the chief justice.