By: Our reporters
The remains of ex-governor, Udom Emmanuel’s litigant, Leo Ekpenyong and his octogenarian father were lowered into grave in Nung Obok, Mbioto 1 in Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Friday, September 22.
Leo Ekpenyong was 50 years while his father, Elijah was 80.
The cause of Ekpenyong’s death, a legal practitioner, was not known.
Gold-plated coffins of Ekpenyong and his father were placed on the same table in their compounds at funeral service conducted by Immaculate Conception Parish, Edem Ekpat in Etinan Local Government Area.
Also read: Chief Judge Sentences Lawyer to Prison- Effiong alleges
Later, both were lowered into graves and the dust-to-dust rite performed by the surviving relations.
Michael Ekpo in his Facebook page wrote: Late Barr. Leo Ekpenyong buried today alongside his father.
May God Grant their souls eternal rest.
Oh my friend, my brother!!!
Good night bro!
Mon’pearl James also penned: Today we bid farewell to sir Leo Ekpenyong and his first son Barr Eno Leo Ekpenyong. Painful loss father and son buried same day rest in peace.
Malcom Ifiok Ubak wrote: Oh! Ayara Awoden! A Colossus by all standards. I celebrate your short but Impactful life. Rest In Peace my great brother and friend.
In his lifetime, Ekpenyong was an activist and human rights crusader who was regarded as a tormentor of democratically elected governors.
Straightnews recalled that Leo allegedly accused Godswill Akpabio of corruption and Udom Emmanuel of ‘buying judgement’ during his governorship tribunal’s case.
Akwa Ibom State High Court, Uyo, on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 set aside its judgement which awarded N1.5 billion in favour of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, over a libel suit.
Mr Emmanuel sued Leo Ekpenyong, a lawyer, for defamation of character over a publication in which he accused the governor of “buying judgment” from the 2019 National Assembly Election Tribunal.
The court, in its judgment, ordered the defendant to pay N1.5 billion to the governor as general damages for libel.
In another defamation case, the court had ordered Mr Ekpenyong to pay N150 million as damages to a former senator, Effiong Bob.
Both judgments were given on December 15, 2020 by Justice Ekaette Obot who is now the chief judge of Akwa Ibom State.
A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, hired by Mr Ekpenyong, challenged the two judgements, and successfully persuaded the court to set them aside.
Justice Obot noted that Governor Emmanuel and Mr Bob did not file any counter affidavit to oppose Mr Ekpenyong’s application.
She said for the interest of substantial justice, since Mr Ekpenyong had filed his defence in the two libel cases, it was important for the cases to be heard on merit, and that it would not be right to deny Mr Ekpenyong the opportunity of determining the case on merit.
The judge, therefore, granted an extension of time as requested by the lawyer, Mr Effiong, and also went ahead to set aside the two judgements.
The court earlier overruled Governor Emmanuel’s lawyer, Samuel Ikpo’s preliminary objection.
The lawyer had argued that Mr Ekpenyong’s application was incompetent, having been brought outside the three months period stipulated by the law, and that the court lacks jurisdiction to extend such time.
Justice Obot admitted that the rules of court are meant to be obeyed.
She, however, said the provision of Order 25 of the Akwa Ibom State High Court Civil Procedure, which the governor’s lawyer relied upon, was unconstitutional.
She said the provision violates the Nigerian Constitution which allows access to court and also guarantees fair hearing.
Mr Effiong, who had urged the court to give priority to his application for extension of time, cited the Supreme Court position on the matter, “Notwithstanding that preliminary objection is on jurisdiction, provided there is an application before the court for extension of time that application must be taken first.”
Refusing Mr Effiong’s application then, the judge said, “Preliminary objections are taken first in every proceeding, especially when it touches on jurisdiction. If you have replied to that objection, why are you afraid?”
Eventually, Effiong, a Lagos-based lawyer was jailed one month by the Chief Judge.
In November 2015, Leo Ekpenyong who accused former Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom of corruption, was arraigned in court for defamation.
Ekpenyong was arraigned by the police at the High Court in Gudu District, Abuja.
He was charged for the unsubstantiated allegations he made against top officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, while appearing on the African Independent Television, AIT.
The lawyer had accused the EFCC of intimidating him, and refusing to investigate Mr. Akpabio.
He had earlier threatened legal action against the EFCC, if it failed to investigate allegations of corruption against Mr. Akpabio.
Mr. Ekpenyong, who had sent several petitions to the commission, vowed to use every legal instrument available to ensure that Mr. Akpabio was probed.
In a four-page petition dated June 8, 2022, which was copied to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Ekpenyong had called for an immediate investigation and prosecution of Mr. Akpabio.
When the former governor was not charged to court, Mr. Ekpenyong took on the EFCC during a live interview with the AIT.
He queried the integrity of the commission’s leadership and expressed his loss of confidence in its ability to bring Mr. Akpabio to justice.
The commission later invited Mr. Ekpenyong on Monday, October 26, and interrogated him over the allegations he made during the television programme.
During his lifetime, he fought against ‘‘corrupt’’ and ‘‘bad governance,’’ though he never won any of the alleged cases.
