By Ime Silas
Mr. Eyo Eminue, who is standing trial before Chief Magistrate Winifred UmohAndy, has sent a Save-Our-Soul message over threats to his life.
Mr. Eminue, whose SOS was routed through his lead counsel, Imoh Akpan, Esq., has a 4-count charge bordering on defamation of character of Prof. Eno Ibanga, the Acting Vice Chancellor of Akwa Ibom state University.
The message released today reads in full: “Our client was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Winifred UmohAndy on April 29, 2020 on a 4 count charge bordering on alleged criminal defamation of character of Professor Eno James Ibanga, former Vice Chancellor of Akwa Ibom State University (and now acting Vice Chancellor).
On the said date, our client was granted bail and after fulfilling the bail conditions, he returned home.
Our client informs us that since his return from the Court on that date, he has observed unmarked vehicles trailing him anywhere and everywhere he goes. Our client fears that his life may be in danger.
“On May 14, 2020, at about 7.30pm in the evening and while indoors at his residence under the cover of the COVID -19 lockdown, three armed, able bodied men scaled the fence and accosted our client in the compound. They rained heavy blows on him while having their guns pinned to his head and threatening to finish him off! Our client pleaded for leniency. He wept for his life. They abandoned him terribly brutalized and fled the same way they came.
Again, on Saturday May 30, 2020, our client received a call from someone who claimed to be calling on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State requesting for a meeting at the Police Headquarters the next day (Sunday) at noon. Of course it was too obvious this was a cheap prank to lure him into their net. But to what end?
“At about 5.30am on June 6, 2020 our client was jolted from sleep by loud bangs on his gate. When he managed to peer outside, he noticed about 4 unfriendly figures outside his gate trying to force it open. It is by the mercies of God that our client was able to escape and tell this story.
It has become pertinent to raise this alarm for the sake of the safety of our client and in the interest of public morality.
“While it is difficult at this stage to conclude on the motive for these attacks, it is increasingly difficult to extricate these incidents from the on-going travails of our client in the hands of the high and mighty and his trial before the Chief Magistrate’s Court for alleged offences.
Our client is innocent of all the contrived charges against him and is ready and willing to stand his trial. He must stay alive to defend himself of the trumped up charges.
- Those who bask in a false sense of entitlement to terrorize another must know that there is a day of reckoning”