The legal battle between the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron Rector, Comdr. Emmanuel Duja Effedua and Innocent Orok, the Editor-in-Chief of Experience Times Newspaper and ROAMREPPORTERS Online has taken an intimidating dimension as the Police at PANTI, Lagos has held the maritime Journalist in detention for arraignment on Friday 10th June , 2022 at Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos .
Recall that Emmanuel Effedua had instituted a libel case against the reporter in September 2021 at Uyo High Court, in Akwa Ibom State Capital. But neither he nor his lawyers ever showed up in all the seven sittings of the court in the last nine months. In a press statement issued by Orok he said however that Effedua decided to petition the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on the same matter, abandoning the court process he had instituted against the him at Uyo Federal High in September 2021.
The reporter said he got an invitation from the Panti Police on the 2nd of March, 2022, and on honoring the invitation with some of his colleagues, it was discovered that the same matter , the Rector instituted at Uyo Federal High Court is the reason he was invited. But on interrogation, however the Police took the court papers and a statement from the reporter assuring that since the matter was already in court , they would not interfer.
Surprisingly, on Tuesday, 7th June 2022, the Panti Police called the reporter back and asked him to come on Thursday 9th. Surprisingly too , on getting to Panti , the Police brought out a fresh charge instituted at Ikoyi Court in Lagos on the same matter by the Maritime Academy Rector. Consequently, the Police have detained detained Orok for arraignment on Friday.
It is worthy of note that, while the 8th adjournment at the Uyo High Court comes up on Monday, 13th June 2022, the Rector and the Police are charging the Journalist on the same matter at Ikoyi High Court tomorrow, the statement noted.
He described this as intimidation and abuse of court process , alleging that his life and that of his family members are in danger.
