JOE EFFIONG, UYO
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno has expressed his surprise at the news of his incarceration and warrant of arrest by an Abuja magistrate court in a supposedly civil case which proceedings he was never served.
One Edet Godwin Etim, said to have been a former worker iin Umo Eno’s company is said to have lodged a complaint against the candidate at a magistrate court, Wuse Abuja, on issue of ‘cheating’ leading the court to commence criminal proceedings against the candidate and eventually convicted him before issuing a warrant of arrest The court claimed that Eno had ‘refused to surrender himself to the court.”
But speaking at his campaign rally in Ika LGA recently, Pastor Eno said he was not aware of any such court case as he was never served any of its proceedings. as such it was strange how he could have responded to a case he was never aware of.
“This is a man they said they had sent to prison. Do I look like a prisoner?
But I like to say that I don’t have problem with anybody. There is no level of provocation that will make me descend into mud with them. There is no level of attack that will make me be like them. So let them keep on going low; we will be going high.
“This people don’t have what to tell Akwa Ibomites again. All their lies have been revealed. So they’re looking for fabrication.
“I have never received any court summons from anywhere. My lawyer, Bar Uwemedimo Nwoko, is here. I have never been served any court summons.
“They feel that everyone is like them that have been imprisoned for criminality. Don’t worry; very soon, they will go back to serve their jail term.”
Umo Eno advised members of the public to ignore what they read about the case because it was a mere fabrication.
“Please don’t mind them. All my friends that have called all over the world, please be prepared to read more of such things as the day goes by. They want us to be like them. We will not be like them. Let them come and tell Akwa Ibom what they will do for the people and how they will do kit. That is what campaign is all about..
“They say I was to be arrested. The police know where I am. If they had the instruction to arrest me they could have arrested me by now, The Nigeria police know how a case was decided on the 23rd of December that the court was on recess. But they decided a case against me in Abuja and issued a warrant of arrest. That is how they deceive people.” The candidate explained.
Daily Sun however gathered that the Abuja customary court actually issued the warrant of arrest against Umo Eno even though he was not served any summons on the case.
It was learned Umo Eno’s legal team has commenced proceedings to ensure that the “fraudulent warrant” is not only set aside, by the proper judiciary investigation is carried out to ensure why a supposedly civil case, in which the supposedly respondent was not served any summons, could be clandestinely decided in Abuja, when the alleged infraction was said have been committed in Akwa Ibom State .