Chief decide assaults lawyer once more, threatens to ship him to jail

A decide in a State Excessive Courtroom, Uyo, on Wednesday, repeatedly threatened to ship a defence counsel, Inibehe Effiong, to jail in a go well with through which Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State is a celebration.

Ekaete Obot, who’s the state’s chief decide, lashed out on the counsel, Mr Effiong, who pleaded with the courtroom to entertain his utility which seeks the decide’s withdrawal from the case after his consumer, Leo Ekpenyong, accused her of bias.

“I’ll ship you out of there now, take away that rope and ship you to jail by the point you go to the Courtroom of Enchantment and are available again. What is that this? You’re overstepping your bounds,” Justice Obot lashed out at Mr Effiong.

The courtroom session was solely dramatic.

Justice Obot first ordered the police to quickly confiscate cell phones from observers contained in the courtroom to stop any recording of the proceedings.

The claimant counsel, Samuel Ikpo, in the course of the courtroom session, accused the defence counsel, Mr Effiong, of recording the courtroom proceedings along with his laptop computer, a improvement which prompted Mr Effiong to show his monitor to Mr Ikpo to have a look at, as a proof that he was not recording.

The fits

Governor Emmanuel sued Mr Ekpenyong, a lawyer, for defamation of character over the publication through which he accused the governor of “shopping for judgment” from the 2019 Nationwide Meeting Election Tribunal.

The courtroom had ordered Mr Ekpenyong to pay the governor N1.5 billion as basic damages for libel.

In one other defamation go well with between a former senator, Effiong Bob, and Mr Ekpenyong, which is earlier than the identical decide, the courtroom had ordered Mr Ekpenyong to pay N150 million as damages to Mr Bob.

Each judgments got concurrently on December 15, 2020 by Justice Obot.

Defendant’s counsel, Mr Effiong, on November 25, 2021 challenged the courtroom that it breached the Nigerian Structure in its judgments towards his consumer.

Justice Obot scolded Mr Effiong for asking the courtroom to put aside the 2 judgments and grant his utility for extension of time for his consumer to defend himself.

The case attracted public consideration final yr when the decide lashed out at Mr Effiong.

“You’re not on Channels TV, don’t stand earlier than me and discuss nonsense,”she had mentioned.

The courtroom, nonetheless, put aside each judgments on February 16, 2022 and granted the appliance for extension of time as requested by Mr Effiong.

‘Recuse your self from the matter’

Dissatisfied together with her dealing with of the matter, the defendant filed an utility on June 23, asking the decide to recuse herself.

“The decide had already delivered judgment though in defiance towards Mr Ekpenyong the place she requested him to pay Governor Emmanuel N1.5 billion,” Mr Effiong advised reporters after the courtroom

“We’re saying as a result of you have got already discovered the defendant responsible on this matter it’s only honest that the matter be reassigned to a different decide in step with authorized follow.”

The defendant mentioned Justice Obot attended the marriage of Mr Bob’s daughter even when Mr Bob is a litigant in her courtroom.

Mr Effiong advised reporters it was towards the code of conduct for judicial officers for the chief decide to have attended such an occasion which was not a state operate, including that Mr Bob was current in her courtroom for the penultimate listening to.

Claimant counsel, Mr Ikpo, declined touch upon the case.

Justice Obot continued to preside over the case regardless of Mr Ekpenyong’s objection.

‘He’s intimidating me’

Richard Peter, who’s a priest with the African Church and a media aide to Governor Emmanuel, appeared because the governor’s witness within the case.

He advised the courtroom that Mr Effiong was intimidating him, when the lawyer requested if his title – Peter – ends with ‘r’ or ‘s’.

Mr Peter advised the courtroom how he had a chat with the defendant on Fb Messenger after the defendant made the alleged publications towards the governor. He mentioned the defendant advised him he would publish extra issues towards the governor.

Mr Peter had filed a written deposition on the matter on March 20, 2020, which he prayed the courtroom to confess as proof.

Mr Effiong objected to the admissibility of the disposition, arguing that it didn’t conform with Part 84 of the Proof Act.

He mentioned that the doc should have been introduced with a certificates in step with the regulation.

Mr Ikpo, the claimant counsel, prayed the courtroom to discountenance the objection of the defence counsel and admit the doc as proof. He mentioned the “objection was unfounded.”

Justice Obot overruled Mr Effiong and admitted the doc as proof. She mentioned the doc conformed with the regulation.

Mr Effiong drew the courtroom’s consideration to the truth that just one doc was tendered however the courtroom admitted it and marked it as three displays.

“You don’t have any understanding of what a deposition is. By your submission earlier than me it exhibits your ignorance of what a deposition means,” the decide advised to Mr Effiong.

“It seems the ruling of the courtroom is completely different from the continuing. That is why we’re saying let our movement on recusal be entertained,” Mr Effiong responded.

“Please shut up! Who do you suppose you’re speaking to?” She lashed out once more at Mr Effiong.

“You exhibit as if something is occurring in order that they (journalists) will see your demonstrations and they’ll go and write nonsense within the press.

“I don’t care. I don’t care about all of the shit. Now you face your work and do it decently,” the decide mentioned, and added that Mr Effiong was free to take the matter to the Courtroom of Enchantment.

“Even (Nigeria Judiciary Fee) NJC, go. I’m ready for you there.”

The drama continued as Mr Effiong contested the adjourned dates of 27, 29 July.

He confirmed the decide his diary, and her dates weren’t handy for him, however his protest didn’t deter the State chief decide.