Court Orders Arrest Of Prof. Ignatius Uduk For Absence During Election Fraud Judgment

A High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has ordered the arrest of Professor Ignatius Uduk, a lecturer at the University of Uyo, for failing to appear in court during the judgment of his trial for alleged election fraud.

The professor, who serves as the Head of the Department of Human Kinetics, is being prosecuted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for charges related to the 2019 general elections.

Professor Uduk is facing three counts of perjury and announcing and publishing false results during the 2019 elections in the Essien Udim State Constituency, where he served as the returning officer. He pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was first arraigned in December 2020.

The case, presided over by Justice Bassey Nkanang, was adjourned for an hour after the defendant and his counsel failed to appear in court. When the hearing resumed, a lawyer, Ndifreke Inyangette, informed the court that the defence counsel was unwell and had asked him to hold a brief for him via a text message.

The prosecution counsel, Clement Onwuenweunor, urged the court to revoke the professor’s bail and issue a fresh bench warrant for his arrest. He also requested that the judgment be delivered in the defendant’s absence, with sentencing to be determined at a later date if convicted.

Justice Nkanang granted the prosecution’s request, revoking the bail previously granted to Professor Uduk and issuing a fresh bench warrant for his arrest. The judge adjourned the case to February 5 for judgment.

The trial has faced numerous delays due to various factors, including a change in the defence counsel and an incident where the professor collapsed in the dock during cross-examination. The court had previously issued an arrest warrant in November 2020 after the professor repeatedly failed to appear for the commencement of the trial.

The case will resume on February 5, when the court is expected to deliver its judgment.