Lagos-based Human Rights Lawyer and secretary, Citizens’ Liberties Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Inibehe Effiong Esq. has called on Akwa Ibom State government to halt the ongoing defamation suit against one Princess God’sown Udoito, a facebook user, describing it as unnecessary and drain on the state resources.
Udoito is standing trial on charges bordering on criminal defamation against Governor Umo Eno, threats, publication of false information and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
Effiong, who appeared in court as a trial observer of the case, urged the state government to channel its resources to developmental projects in the state, not to look for comments or posts on social media by citizens against the governor.
He said Governor Eno should understand that he is serving the public and bound to face criticism sometimes. He added that the governor should rather look into the allegations by Udoito and not shut her down with legal battle.
The Rights lawyer pointed out that one of the charges against Princess Udoito was, ‘Sedition’ noting that sedition is unknown to the law as the court of appeal had since declared the offense of sedition unconstitutional.
He observed that the foregoing, Governor Umo Eno had not come out to complain of defamation but a lawyer who he described as a ‘busy body’ decided to make a mountain out of a molehill.
According to him, ”To the best of my knowledge, as I’m speaking to you this moment, Umo Eno has not complained that Princess has defamed him and every lawyer knows defamation is personal. It is personal to the person who feels he or she has been defamed.
This case is a drain on the resources of the state, by the way, if you are prosecuting somebody for allegedly insulting the governor, when will they start prosecuting sycophants of the governor? People that go on social media to lie to paint a false impression about what is going on in the state. So let the charge be dropped. I quite hope people have more serious things to do. You cannot be wasting our resources, chasing everything.”
The activist also expressed reservations over Udoito’s undue detention querying why the DPP should oppose the defendant’s bail? arguing, ”If they are prosecuting, they should tell us, if they are persecuting, they should tell us. So because of insults, she shouldn’t be on bail? If this trial is to subsist for the next one month, two months, five months, she’s going to be there because of a comment she made?
Earlier, the first prosecuting witness,(PW1) Emmanuel Nicholas Udo, Esq., Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Legal Documentation and former Chairman of the NBA, Uyo Branch had told the court during the opening of hearing that the defendant through her Facebook account, made videos that could threaten the internal security of the State and the person of the Governor.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Friday Itim, Esq, the witness said the defendant in the videos alleged that Governor Eno fraudulently sold ancestral lands belonging to her people, the Ekid people to a private company, BUA and embezzled the proceeds.
The witness also told the court that the defendant, in one of the videos, claimed to be a custodian of certain traditional deities of Ekid land and invoked them against the Governor, members of the government and others allegedly involved in what she described as fraudulent land transactions.
According to the witness, the defendant also accused the Governor of stealing, described him as a liar and alleged that he was hiding under the cover of government to commit fraud. He said he subsequently instructed a lawyer to petition the State Commissioner of Police to investigate the allegations to safeguard lives and public order in the state.
Responding, defence counsel, Akpadiaha Ebitu, Esq., former Chairman of the NBA, Eket Branch, told the court that the notice was served on him in court via a flash drive, which he had not yet accessed and requested time to review its contents, citing the need for adequate service as required by law.
After listening to counsel, the trial judge, Justice Winifred Umohandi, adjourned the matter to Wednesday, 18th February and Thursday, 19th February, 2026, for continuation of hearing and cross-examination of the first prosecution witness.
