Akakan Umoh
Akwa Ibom High Court in Uyo heard how a Facebook user, Princess God’sown Udoito invoked certain traditional deities of Ekid land against Governor Umo Eno over the disputed Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve.
Also known as God’sown Monday Udoito from Esit Eket Local Government Area, she is in detention and is standing trial in the court over alleged defamatory publications against the Governor.
In one of her Facebook video posts seen by Straightnews, Udoito is seen standing barefooted, tying her body with some traditional palm fronds called eyei and holding it on one hand and holding illicit gin on another hand, uttering what sounded like ‘‘incantations.’’
At the hearing last Thursday, the prosecution opened its case and called its first witness, Emmanuel Nicholas Udo, Esq., Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Legal Documentation and former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Uyo Branch.
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Testifying as the first prosecution witness (PW1), Udo, who is popularly known as “Aguda,” told the court that he knew the defendant through her Facebook account, where he allegedly saw several videos she posted which, according to him, posed a threat to the internal security of the State and the person of the Governor.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Friday Itim, Esq., the witness said the defendant made videos alleging that Governor Umo Eno fraudulently sold ancestral lands belonging to Ekid people to private company, BUA and embezzled the proceeds.
PW1 further testified that in another video, the defendant alleged that the Governor also collected lands from the people of Ikot Ekpene Udo, his hometown in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, paid them what she described as inadequate compensation and warned that a similar action in Ekid land would not succeed.
The witness also told the court that the defendant, in one of the videos, claimed to be a custodian of certain traditional deities of Ekid land and invoked them against the Governor, members of the government and others allegedly involved in what she described as fraudulent land transactions.
According to the witness, the defendant also accused the Governor of stealing, described him as a liar and alleged that he was hiding under the cover of government to commit fraud.
She was further said to have described the Governor as an “arrangee Governor” and his administration as an “arrangee government,” while also making allegations relating to his educational qualifications, describing his PhD as “Doctor of Ikpa Road.”
PW1 stated that the defendant further claimed that Ekid people nurtured and groomed the Governor and called on the Federal Government of Nigeria, President of the United States, Donald Trump, and international agencies to intervene, alleging that the Governor was using his office to take over ancestral land.
Udo told the court that the actions and publications of the defendant constituted a threat to the internal security of Akwa Ibom State and the safety of the Governor.
He said he subsequently instructed a lawyer to petition the State Commissioner of Police to investigate the allegations in order to safeguard lives and public order in the State.
At the conclusion of his testimony, the prosecution counsel informed the court that a notice for additional evidence, dated 3rd February, 2026, had been filed.
Responding, defence counsel, Akpadiaha Ebitu, Esq., former Chairman of the NBA, Eket Branch, told the court that the notice was served on him in court via a flash drive, which he had not yet accessed and requested time to review its contents, citing the need for adequate service as required by law.
Following submissions by both parties, the prosecution suspended the use of the video evidence for the time being, allowing the witness to give only oral testimony.
After listening to counsel, the trial judge, Hon. Justice Winifred Umohandi, adjourned the matter to Wednesday, 18th February and Thursday, 19th February, 2026, for continuation of hearing and cross-examination of the first prosecution witness.
Another highlight of the day’s proceedings was the announcement of appearance by a Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, Esq., who informed the court that he was observing the trial on the mandate of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association and Clifford Thomas, Esq., who said he was representing the human rights community as a trial observer.
