The Akwa Ibom State High Court, sitting in Uyo, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Prof. Ignatius Uduk.
This is coming even as high court 2 Ikot- Ikpene last week, arraigned one professor Peter Ogban, of the University of Uyo, over alleged electoral fraud during the 2019 general election.
Uduk, who is also a lecturer in the same University, was accused by the Independent Electoral Commission, Akwa Ibom state, of alleged involvement in electoral fraud.
He was alleged to have declared election results he made no impute in collating.
A statement by the commission’s head of department for Voters Education, Odaro Aisien, on Monday, said, INEC tried but failed to serve the professor with the court summons with respect to case no JU/240c/2020. Aisein, said INEC subsequently filed a motion for substituted service which was granted on 16th November, 2020.
According to the statement the order was subsequently served on the office of the Vice Chancellor, UNIUYO on the 17th November, 2020 directing the defendant to appear before the court on the 18th of the same month.
The statement added that when the accused did not appear a bench warrant was issued on the Professor upon the application of the counsel to INEC, Barrister Kpoobari Sigalo.
The statement reads in part, “the Akwa Ibom state high court sitting in Uyo has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Prof. Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, who is accused of involvement in electoral fraud in the 2019 general election.
“The commission after a series of unsuccessful attempts to serve the professor with the summons to appear before the court in charge of Hurry/240c/2020, had filed a motion for substituted service which was granted on the 16th of November, 2020.”
(Punch)
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