The Managing Partner of Law Corridor, Pelumi Olajengbesi Esq., has demanded the release of his colleague, Inihebe Effiong, who was sentenced to one-month imprisonment over alleged contempt.
Punch Metro reported that the Lagos-based lawyer was jailed by the Akwa Ibom State High Court presided by the Chief Judge of the state, over what was called “contemptuous and insulting behaviour in court” during the case of libel by Governor Udom Emmanuel against Effiong’s defendant, Mr Leo Ekpenyong.
Narrating the incident which led to Effiong’s imprisonment, Olajengbesi said the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State had ordered news reporters from Premium Times to leave the courtroom and he had prayed the Court to let them stay since the proceeding is public, but the Court did not budge.
Effiong was said to have further informed the court of the unease sliding through him owing to the uncustomary presence of policemen in the courtroom. It was at that moment the Chief Judge asked him to step out of the bar and ordered the Policemen to take him to the Uyo correctional centre and keep him for one month.
However, in reaction to the judgement in a statement released on Wednesday, Olajengbesi argued that sentencing Effiong without trial is illegal and a slap on the Rule of Law.
“What leaves me in shock is the fact that no contempt proceeding whatsoever was held before his conviction and sentencing, and neither was he allowed to show cause why he should not be punished for contempt, as obtainable under summary trials for contempt,” he said.
Olajengbesi questioned “whether Effiong’s expression in any way ridicules the Court or interferes with the administration of justice? the answer is to the negative. At this point, I cannot completely overlook the fact that the Chief Judge had earlier threatened to put Inihebe Effiong Esq behind bars for accusing her of the likelihood of bias in the ongoing libel suit which came up for trial.
“In addition, sentencing without trial is definitely not welcome under the Nigerian Criminal Justice system as it emblems an exercise of arbitrariness and a slap on the hallowed concept of Rule of Law. To sentence for contempt in the face of the court by the Judge who feels offended will naturally bring about a case of the Judge being a ‘Judge’ in her own case and for that, the Judge ought to be more circumspect in the exercise of her powers.
“It is my opinion that if my learned brother has been accused for contempt, then he ought to be tried for contempt in accordance with the due legal procedure before being sentenced. The Court is no place for the display of sentimentality, and justice should not only be done but manifestly be seen to be done.
“In light of the ripple consequences of setting such precedence in the arbitrary exercise of the court or a judge’s right to hold one on contempt charges, it behoves on the judiciary as an institution to take more than a cursory interest in this matter and see that manifest justice in the form of redress is extended to my learned friend and colleague Inibehe.
“The current Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom is no longer competent to continue to preside on the matter and the court, not also fit to hold such a very important and delicate office as her clothes of Justice has been stained with injustice.”
