Even as Hearing Continues.

Commodore Duja Emmanuel Effedua (rtd.), Rector, MAN

The High Court of Ibiono, within the Uyo Judicial division has cleared the Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Commodore, Duja Emmanuel Effedua of any wrong doing in reporting attempts to blackmail him to the police for investigation.

The Rector had to call on the Police and other security agencies to carry out investigations and unravel the characters behind  blackmail attempts, smear publications and other allegations made against him and his management team last year,

Part of the ongoing trial is Suit No. HIT/FHR/12/2020 Between: Edet Okon Okpo (Applicant) and Commodore Emmanuel Effedua (Rtd) – Rector Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron (1st Respondent), Inspector Patrick Edet (IPO. Police Zonal Head Quarters, Zone 6) (2nd Respondent) and Assistant Inspector General, AIG, of Police, Calabar (3rd Respondent).

Our correspondent, (Christopher Eyo), reports that when the matter came up for hearing on Tuesday, February 15, 2022,     the presiding Judge Hon. Justice Okon A. Okon dismissed the case against Commodore Emmanuel Effedua when he declared:

“I find no credible evidence to find that the 1st Respondent instigated the arrest and detention of the Applicant (Edet Okpo) beyond sending his petition to the 2nd and 3rd Respondents to investigate in exercise of his civic duties to report possible commission of crime to the police for investigation. Even the applicant has admitted that the 1st Respondent received threatening messages which entailed blackmail and criminal extortion etc.

“Generally, it is the duty of citizens to report case of commission of crime to the police for investigation and what happens after such report is entirely the responsibility of the police”.

“The citizens cannot be held culpable for doing their civic duty unless it is shown that it is done mala fide. That I find no evidence of mala fide on the part of the 1st Respondent in writing his petition to the third Respondent which petition was not even directly written against the Applicant”.

“To hold otherwise would amount to interfering with and/or prejudicing the ongoing trial of the Applicant at the Federal High Court Calabar upon the petition under reference in this Applicant”.

“It is the decision of the Court that the 1st Respondent is found not liable for any evisceration of the right of the Applicant as asserted by the Applicant in the detention of the Applicant by the 2nd and 3rd Respondent from 17th to 23rd July 2020 in breach of section 35 (4) and (5) and Section 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)”.

Contrary to this declaration by the court, some desperate, misguided elements, in attempts to lay claim to some imaginary victory are reporting declarations and pronouncements not made by the court in confirmation of their lying, deceitful multiple personality traits.

Recall that when we asked the Rector if he knows these shady character sometime ago, the Rector said, “No, l don’t even know them, l have never seen them and l don’t want their friendship. The issue is that people wanted access to the fund of the Academy”.

“They have been enjoying that in the past that was why there has been no progress. So, when l came and block everything, l became public enemy number one, but only to the criminals and their internal collaborators”.

“The Police, DSS, even the EFCC, they have done so much in hunting down some of them, because they have investigated all their fake allegations, and for giving them false information. There are penalties; there are laws to take care of that.

“It was a deliberate plot, they wanted to stop my second term, but it’s God that does everything, l am still here. These people are extremely dangerous; to underestimate their evil tendencies would be a big mistake.

“Character assassinators and cyber predators are not ordinary criminals, they are hardened and we must be careful if they turn around and pretend to be offering peace.”

the Rector insist that, “I don’t have issues with the Oron people, however, there are some criminals embedded within, very few of them, we know them now. They just play ethnic politics and try to smear the community.  Oron people are going about their own businesses, but these criminals, they have always fed  from the Academy and stopping them is like their world has come to an end”.

As the case has been adjourned to the 15th day of March, 2022, for continuation of trial, our men are on ground and monitoring developments closely.