Ibanga Isine, an investigative journalist and farmer residing in Akwa Ibom State, has expressed serious concern after being removed from a courtroom before his legal matter could be heard. Isine serves as the complainant in a case against Abdullahi Yusuf. He reports that police officers, acting under the direction of Magistrate Godwin Edemekong, forcibly ejected him from the premises. This action occurred shortly after other members of the press covering the session were reportedly belittled.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Akwa Ibom has voiced strong opposition to these events. Nsikak Esenowo, the council’s secretary, labeled the incident a violation of open justice and press freedom, as protected by the 1999 Constitution. He has formally requested that Chief Judge Ekaette Fabian Obot launch an inquiry into the situation. Isine originally sought legal redress after repeated incursions by herders and their cattle destroyed his crops and irrigation infrastructure, causing significant financial losses. Despite reporting these incidents to state security officials, he claims his efforts were largely ignored until a suspect was finally apprehended.
Isine further detailed issues with the police prosecutor, Blessing Essien, alleging a lack of transparency and communication regarding court schedules. The journalist expressed frustration that he was ordered to attend a hearing where the prosecutor himself failed to appear. Isine has urged both the Nigerian Bar Association and Governor Umo Eno to intervene, seeking an investigation into the legal proceedings and stricter enforcement of the state’s anti-open grazing legislation.