Human rights abuse: Court exonerates A’Ibom speaker

The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo has exonerated Onofiok Luke, the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly Speaker, from charges that his convoy assaulted a medical doctor, Dr Emmanuel Udo, and restricted his freedom of movement.
The presiding Judge, Justice Fatun Riman, said in his ruling on Monday, that the suit lacked merit as the speaker did not directly assault the applicant or restrict his movement.
In his response to the ruling, Counsel to the Speaker, Ekemini Udim, said the suit filed by the applicant had been determined by the court to be frivolous and without merit.
Udim said: “Today, the applicant was unable to demonstrate and substantiate his allegations against the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and that clearly informed the decision of the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
“The implication is that the Speaker is as clean as he has always been; no stain whatsoever on his personality.
“There is every indication that this suit was clearly intended to malign the personality of the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.”
Counsel to the applicant, Inibehe Effiong, said though he had reservations for the court’s ruling, he would respect the judgement.
Effiong said: “The court gave judgement to say that the applicant has not proved his case.
“We listened to the judgement; we have reservation for the judgement; we respect the court but we strongly disagree with the judgement because we feel there were issues on the evaluation of evidence.”
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Udo, on September 8, 2017, filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Uyo, against the speaker on ground of assault and infringement on his fundamental human rights.
Udo, in the suit No, FHC/UY/CS/119/2017, had accused the speaker’s security men of assault and torture on June 25, 2016, along Obot Idim, Ibesikpo Road in Akwa Ibom while travelling to Eket.