State High Court sitting in Uyo has summoned the Chairman of Uruan Local Government, Mr. Iniobong Ekpenyong, as witness in the murder of a female job seeker, Miss Iniubong Umoren.
He is to testify in the murder of Umoren, a philosophy graduate of the University of Uyo, who was allegedly killed by Mr. Uduak Akpan earlier in the year.
Justice Bassey Nkanang ordered that a witness summons be served on the chairman at his Ewet Housing, Uyo home to appear tomorrow for plea taking and pre-trial session.
The summons is in connection with the confessional statement by the chairman that he facilitated the arrest of the suspect, said to be his cousin.
The court also issued a witness summons on Kufre Michael Effiong of 16, Esuene Street, Uyo as well as the deceased’s sister, Ifiok.Besides, the court issued a warrant compelling the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), Uyo, to produce Anwan Bassey Akpan, the 3rd accused, in the murder of Iniubong, who was lured, raped and killed through a phoney job offer in the social media early this year.
The order followed her absence in court after she was arrested and detained for allegedly obstructing the arrest of his brother, Uduak Akpan, the prime suspect.
In the amended charge, the court issued a trial denovo to three indicted suspects, Uduak Akpan, father of the prime suspect, Frank Akpan and sister to the prime suspect, Akpan Anwan Bassey Akpan.The Solicitor-General of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Christopher J Udoh, who is next in rank to the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Akwa Ibom State, led the prosecution council yesterday.
The prime suspect, Uduak Akpan and the second accused, Frank Akpan, appeared in court under the custody of warders and were remanded again following a directive by the judge.
The court ordered that the first accused, the second accused and the third accused must be made to appear in court tomorrow.
The State Solicitor-General, Mr. Christopher Udoh, had during the proceedings prayed the court to issue the prosecution warrant since the third accused person was not in court.He informed the court that the initial charge filed in June has been substituted with the amended one filed on October 29, 2021, in order to join the third accused person, who was arrested recently and joined in the suit.The two counsel to the defendants in the matter, Emms Ekongson and Samson Adula, however, did not raise any objection to the prayers by the prosecution counsel.