Human rights Lawyer Inibehe Effiong has been sentenced to prison by a Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom court.
Effiong was defending a client Leo Ekpenyong in the libel suit filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel before the proceedings turned against him.
He stated that he sensed trouble after the judge entered the court and ordered that the armed mobile Policemen attached to the court be allowed in.
The popular activist relayed what transpired on his Twitter page, revealing that Justice Ekaette Obot ordered that a Premium Times reporter leave the court.
He reacted by saying, “…my lord, we were thinking that since the proceeding is public, that members of the public should be allowed to observe the proceeding. My Lord asked me to proceed with cross-examination.”
The Lawyer stated that he obeyed and proceeded to inform the court of not being comfortable with having two armed mobile Policemen inside the courtroom.
Effiong revealed that the judge ordered him to step out of the Bar and disrobe as she was sending him to prison.
“She then ordered the policemen to take me to Uyo prison. And that I should be in jail for one month. I am waiting inside the courtroom for them to bring the conviction warrant,” he added.
He further stated that he was not allowed to plead his conviction as he did not do anything to warrant the sentence.
“Two lawyers in the court appealed to the Hon. Chief Judge but my Lord insisted that I must be jailed,” Effiong stated.
The human rights lawyer also revealed that the Uyo correctional centre rejected him, and they are returning to the court for the judge to determine where he should be jailed.