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A State Excessive Courtroom in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Thursday ordered a member of the Akwa Ibom Home of Meeting to pay a 20-year-old Nigerian citizen N1.5 million over unlawful arrest and detention.
The decide, Edem Akpan, additionally directed the lawmaker, Uduak Odudoh, who represents Ikot Abasi and Jap Obolo State Constituency, to publish a public apology to the person in a nationwide and an area newspaper over his rights violation.
The person, Promise Etete, in 2021, filed a case towards Mr Odudoh, asking the court docket to compel the lawmaker to apologise to him publicly, in addition to pay him N100 million as compensation for ordering the police to arrest and detain him illegally.
A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, dealt with the case on behalf of Mr Etete.
The police arrested Mr Etete in 2020, detained and later charged with risk to life and defamation of character after he posted an article on Fb towards the lawmaker.
Mr Etete stated within the Fb article the lawmaker was appearing as if he was representing a faction, and never the entire of his constituency.
He accused Mr Odudoh of poor illustration and stated the constituency has remained “underdeveloped” due to “rip-off leaders”.
Mr Etete was first arraigned earlier than a Justice of the Peace Courtroom within the state however the prices have been struck out in December 2020 after the lawmaker failed to look when the case got here up for listening to,” Mr Effiong stated.
‘Sick-motivated petition’
Justice Akpan, in his judgment, described as “ill-motivated” the petition written to the police by Mr Ududoh.
The decide stated the allegations of risk to life and cultism within the stated petition have been baseless.
The court docket held that the posts made by Mr Etete have been honest feedback and that as a citizen he has the suitable to complain about points in his constituency that he’s aggrieved about, and that the lawmaker has an obligation to respect such criticisms.
READ ALSO: Katsina governor calls for N10bn from NUJ for alleged defamation
The court docket additional held that Mr Ududoh violated Mr Etete’s proper to freedom of expression, dignity, and private liberty.
The lawyer, Mr Effiong instructed PREMIUM TIMES that the court docket verdict was a robust rebuke to the lawmaker and different political workplace holders within the nation who really feel that they will use their affect to subjugate residents for criticising their “misdeeds”.
“We’re telling them once more at present that oppressive and reckless deployment of legislation enforcement businesses to assault harmless residents for voicing issues over the poor state of our nation won’t ever be tolerated,” he stated.
Enoch Enoch, counsel to Mr Odudoh, declined feedback when contacted.
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