According to a lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, a human rights attorney who is currently imprisoned, was reportedly disparaged by Akwa Ibom Chief Judge Ekaette Obot as a “lousy boy.”
This was revealed in a news release by attorney Augustine Asuquo, the managing partner of the Inibehe Effiong Chambers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on July 28, not long after Mrs. Obot had sent Mr. Effiong to jail for alleged disrespect.
The Nigerian Bar Association among other individuals and organizations have denounced the judge’s decision as being arbitrary and unlawful.
In a defamation case in which the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, is the claimant, Mr. Effiong, who is headquartered in Lagos State in southwest Nigeria, is a counsel to another attorney, Leo Ekpenyong.
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, is the claimant in a defamation lawsuit, and Mr. Effiong, who is headquartered in Lagos State in the southwest of Nigeria, is a lawyer for another attorney, Leo Ekpenyong.
The attorney claimed that Mrs. Obot hired him after he brought up a letter from their chambers advising her to transfer the matter to a different judge.
“I saw the letter, and I did order that you should make a formal application so that the other party can respond, but you evaded service of that process,” Mr Asuquo quoted the judge to have said.
Mrs Obot, according to the lawyer, veered off the case to talk about Mr Effiong.
“What about that lousy boy? What’s his name again?” The judge said derogatorily.
The claimants’ counsel, Samuel Ikpo, responded, “Inibehe Effiong!”
“My Lord said, ‘Yes, that rude boy was found running in the street of Uyo, evading service and was chased after by the bailiff’.
“You people want to frustrate this case with this your application, you will not,” the judge said.
Mr Asuquo said Mrs Obot accused his chambers of bringing a herbalist (a journalist who was covering the proceedings) into the court.
“With utmost dismay, I couldn’t believe myself,” the lawyer said of the judge’s remarks.
“I then pleaded with my Lord that we never evaded any service of the process and that my colleague is not based in Uyo, but Lagos.”
Contempt of court?
Mr Effiong said his argument angered the judge who wanted to commit him to prison for contempt.
“In anger for daring to argue with my Lord, Her lordship quickly ordered the clerk of court to seize my phone, check if I was recording.
“When it was discovered that I wasn’t recording, my Lord asked that my phone be switched off and seized from me. As I stammered to utter another word, my Lord yelled at me to step out of the court and de-robe myself that she’s sending me to prison for contempt.
“I was shocked to my marrow. While I stepped out, my Lord continued to denigrate my colleague Inibehe for his ‘unruly’ behaviour, that he has influenced me with it. That I had better find a senior lawyer and attach myself and learn the proper principles of law and conduct.
“Regarding my committal, I was helplessly miserable because I had done nothing to warrant such an unthinkable attack. So I managed to utter some words of apologies to the court if my comment had ever offended the court. Another learned senior from the bar, equally stood up and appealed for my pardon. That was how I escaped the sentencing hammer.”
