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SecretsReporters
Following the June 12, 2013 of the burning down of few properties in University of Uyo (UNIUYO) by its students, which findings revealed was caused by the Vice Chancellor (VC), Comfort Ekpo and her two deputies, the School and the Akwa Ibom State government have sworn to make the innocent students rot in jail.
We gathered that 44 of the Students who were arrested on the fateful day from their homes, hotels and streets continued their standing of trial on Wednesday at High Court 7 Uyo, presided over by Hon. Justice Joy Unwana. 42 of the accused persons/students were present in court while 2 were absent. The trial judge almost issued a Bench Warrant for the arrest of the absentees but rescinded her intention owing to the inability of the prosecution to show proof of service. The University who is the Complainant was again represented in court by one Barr I O Eze on watching brief while the State was represented by a lawyer from the Ministry of Justice. The students were represented by their various lawyers numbering over 20 while those without lawyers were represented by one Barr. Theodore Williams pro bono.
While the Idi Amin trial continued, the Judge was told that the 34th accused person, Ubong Anthony Linus, a 100 level student of the Department of Chemical Engineering has lost his senses, due to the trauma he went through in prison. According to dependable sources who were with him on the fateful day, he began behaving strange in Court, which was noticed by his Co-Inmates. His madness got worse when he was released from prison temporarily. We gathered that Ubong who comes from a very poor background may start picking dirts on the street if medical attention is not quickly sought for him by well spirited Nigerians, as his mother who he lives with cannot afford the bills.
He is currently being treated at an unknown location, but he is said not to be responding to treatment. According to the Lead Campaigner, ‘Free UNIUYO 44, Inibehe Effiong, efforts are being made to apply for the suspension of his studies. Inibehe also revealed that contrary to reports that all the arrested students are from UNIUYO, the 6th accused person is not a student of UNIUYO but from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and had to missed his exams today to attend the trial in Uyo, prompting questions of how an OAU student will participate in a riot that he knows nothing about.
In a bid to carry out the plan of her paymasters in condemning the Students to jail, the prosecution continued with their lackadaisical attitude to the trial by seeking adjournment thereby stalling the trial on the ground that the lead prosecutor was ill. This atituted we gathered turned off the Judge, who is noted to be fearless and a straightforward woman, as he lambasted them, “If you people are not prepared to do this matter you better ask the AG to enter a nolle prosequi…I take exceptions to this…I think we should have the interest of the accused persons at heart, it is very annoying, it is very unfair…”
In a Press release sent by the lead campaigner and activist, Inibehe, he noted that “the judge ordered the counsel to the accused persons to consolidate their representation and appoint a lead counsel to address the court on their behalf while others will just contribute before the next adjourned date. She equally ordered those of them that intend to apply for quashing of the charges to do within 14 days from today while the prosecution will file counter within 14 thereafter. Replies on point of law should is to be filed within 7days after the counter had been filed. Meanwhile, the court extended the bail for all the accused persons owing to their good conduct in attending trial. The case was then adjourned to May 8 and 12, 2014 for hearing to enable the students attend to their exams which will start on 31th March, 2014”.
He also appealed for financial assistance to be rendered urgently to save the student from completely going mad
“We therefore appeal to spirited members of the society to come to his aid. In fact, the family cannot afford medical expenses and has resorted to faith healing. This is an emergency. We equally appeal for more pressure to be exerted on the Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State to drop the trumped up charges as there is no indication to that direction at present. We equally appeal to more Public Interest Lawyers to come to the rescue as many of the lawyers have either withdrawn or threaten to withdraw from the case owing to the inability of the students to meet their financial obligations”, Inibehe noted.
