A human rights lawyer based in Lagos, Inibehe Effiong has been sentenced to one month imprisonment by the Akwa Ibom State High Court presided by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ekaette Obot.
Obot ordered Inibehe’s imprisonment over what she called “contemptuous and insulting behaviour in court.”
She said that the lawyer would use the correctional facility to purge himself of insolence and dishonourable acts that tended to bring the court to disrepute.
The court which sat in the case of libel by filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel against Mr Leo Ekpenyong, was on its last day for the prosecution to end its case.
The lawyer had in a series of tweets on his verified handle on Wednesday, revealed he was in court on a suit filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel against Leo Ekpenyong for alleged defamation.
He said, “I have just been sent to Uyo prison by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot, for one month for defending Leo Ekpenyong in the libel suit filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel.”
Effiong added that there was “Already a pending application for recusal asking the Hon. Chief Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot, to recuse himself. We filed it since June 23, 2022. The motion is still pending.”