NewsRescue
July 30th, 2022
Saviour Imukudo, a PREMIUM TIMES reporter who was at the High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Wednesday to cover the court proceedings, was arrested by police on the order of the Akwa Ibom Chief Judge, Ekaette Obot.
Mr Imukudo was in court to cover the defamation case between Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel and a lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong.
According to reports, Mr Ekpenyong’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, was also controversially sentenced to one month in prison by Justice Obot.
A Uyo resident who witnessed Mr Imukudo’s arrest said the judge had asked the reporter to identify himself in the courtroom when the proceedings began.
Mr Imukudo introduced himself as a PREMIUM TIMES reporter, and then Justice Obot asked him to leave the courtroom.
The judge ordered a police officer to search him and confiscate his phone as he walked out of the courtroom, NewsRescue learned.
The lawyer, Mr Effiong, said there were two armed police officers inside the courtroom in tweets that alerted the public that he was being sentenced to prison by Justice Obot.
Mr. Imukudo, the PREMIUM TIMES reporter, was still detained in Justice Obot’s court at 1:30 p.m.
Mr Imukudo has been covering the defamation case in Justice Obot’s court between Governor Emmanuel and Mr Ekpenyong.
Good journalism is extremely expensive. Only good journalism, however, can guarantee the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
