Judge Orders Arrest of Premium Times’ Reporter Inside Courtroom

A PREMIUM TIMES reporter, Saviour Imukudo, who was at the High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Wednesday, to cover the court proceedings, has been arrested by the police on the order of the Akwa Ibom Chief Judge, Ekaette Obot.

Mr Imukudo was in court to cover the defamation case between the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, and a lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Ekpenyong’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, was also controversially sent to prison for one month by Justice Obot.

A resident of Uyo, who witnessed the arrest of Mr Imukudo, said the judge had asked the reporter to identify himself in the courtroom when the proceedings started.

Mr Imukudo introduced himself as a reporter with the PREMIUM TIMES, and then Justice Obot ordered him to leave the courtroom.

As he was walking out of the courtroom, the judge ordered a police officer to search him and confiscate his phone, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

There were two armed police officers inside the courtroom, the lawyer, Mr Effiong, said in his tweets that alerted the public that he was being sent to prison by Justice Obot.

The PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter, Mr Imukudo, was still detained as of 1:30 p.m. in Justice Obot’s court.

Mr Imukudo has been covering the defamation case between Governor Emmanuel and Mr Ekpenyong in Justice Obot’s court.