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JOE EFFIONG, UYO
The Akwa Ibom state High Court 9, sitting in Uyo, has ordered the Correctional Service (formerly, Prisons) to produce one Anwan Bassey Akpan, the 3rd accused in the Iniubong Umoren’s murder case, in court on Thursday November 4,2021.
The order followed her absence in court at the resumed hearing after she was arrested and detention for allegedly obstructing the arrest of his brother, Uduak Akpan, the first accused in the case.
Uduak Akpan, is standing trial alongside his father, Frank Akpan, listed as second accused over the murder of Miss Umoren, a graduate of Philosophy, University of Uyo, whom he allegedly lured, raped and killed in the pretext of offering her a job.
The State Solicitor-General, Christopher. J. Udoh, had during the proceedings prayed the Court to issue the production warrant since the third accused person was not in court.
Ufoh also informed the court that the initial charge filed in June has been substituted with amended one filed on October 29, 2021 in order to join the third accused person who was recently arrested.
Counsel to the defendants in the matter, Emma Ekongson and Samson Adula however, did not raise any objection to the prayers by the prosecution counsel.
Justice Bassey Nkanang, who is just resuming new in the court after the former justice, Bennett Illaumo was substituted, also ordered that a witness summon be served to the Chairman of Uruan Local Government Council, Mr Iniobong Ekpenyong at his Ewet Housing Uyo and one Kufre Michael Effiong of No 16 Esuene Street, Uyo.
The new judge who promised to follow the trial dates of his predecessor’s, adjourned the case to November, 4, 2021 for plea taking and for pre-trial.
Speaking with newsmen on the court premises, former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Uwemedimo Nwoko (SAN), expressed happiness over the seriousness that the state government had attached to the case
Nwoko also expressed happiness that the sister of the first accused person (Uduak Abasi Akpa) who had created some level of complications in the process of apprehending the culprit has also been arrested and charged.
Nwoko said: “This case that has a great deal of public interest, and I am representing the interest of Ati Annang Socio-cultural organization, from the ethic extraction where the deceased came from. We are going to follow up on the proceedings up to the end of the matter.
“I am very happy today that His Lordship, the new trial judge who is just resuming new in this court has done something very unique. One, he has decided to sustain all the dates that his predecessor adjourned the case before, which is about 10-days.
“Two, we now have the principal accused person, with the father, and the sister charged together for complicity in the death of our dear sister Iniubong Umoren. Right now the prosecution team is led by one of the best, the Solicitor General of the state.
” And that shows the level of seriousness that government is attaching to this matter. And we as a Socio-cultural organization also representing the family of the deceased, we are interested in getting to the bottom of the case.
