Alleged electoral fraud: Court revokes bail, issues arrest warrant on UNIUYO Prof

AN Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo,  has revoked the bail granted Prof. Ignatius Uduk, a University of Uyo, UNIUYO, don who is facing trial for alleged electoral fraud during the 2019 general elections.

The court also issued an arrest warrant against him.

Trial judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, took the decision in response to an application by the prosecution, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that prayed for the bail to be revoked, after the court adjourned for judgment and a second day absence by the defendant in court, as well as his counsel, George Ezeugwu.

INEC, under Mike Igini as Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Akwa Ibom State, had opened prosecution of Uduk, Professor of Human Kinetics, who served as a Collation/Returning officer for Essien Udim State Constituency during March 2019 elections, on three amended count charges of abandonment of duties, publishing/announcing of fake election result scores and lying on oath.

While another UNIUYO Professor, Peter Ogban who was also arraigned by INEC under similar circumstance, was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison, the trial of Uduk suffered repeated adjournments on the part of the defendant, resulting in change of the trial judge.

Justice Nkanang had stood down the case for an hour and asked a lawyer, Ndifreke Inyangette to contact the defence counsel to ascertain reason for his absence in court.

When the matter was called again, Inyangette standing in for defendant, informed the court that Ezeugwu sent him message via text that he was ill. He also told the court that the defence counsel also told him his client was ill.

In his ruling, Justice Nkanang admitted being aware of the defendant’s health condition, but regardless, granted prayers of INEC’s counsel prayer, revoking the bail earlier granted the defendant and issued a bench warrant against him.

He then adjourned the case till February 5, 2025 for judgment.