10th November, 2010
A senior lecturer at the University of Nigeria Nsukka(UNN) , Dr Okey Ikeanyibe and four others have been sentenced to three months imprisonment for contempt of court.
Others sentenced along with the university don by an Ekwulobia High Court, Anambra State, presided over by Mr Justice B. A. Nwankwo, are Chief Samuel Nwankwo, Gregory Oragunye, Sebastine Aguina and Chief CAC Ifedioranma.
The five members of Isuofia community in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State were accused of disobeying the order of the court.
The contempt motion No AG/11M/2010 was brought against them by Deacon Remigius Ezeifediba, also a native of the community, in suit No AG/5/2010.
The court has already issued warrants for their immediate arrest and committal to prison till February 4, 2011.
According to the court, “despite the various notices of the pendency of the injuctive Order restraining the Respondents/Contemnors from conducting the general election of Isuofia Peoples Union Federated on 3rd April 2010, the Respondents/Contemnors in flagrant breach of the said Injuctive Order, disdainfully and scornfully proceeded and conducted the said general election in defiance of the rule of law.
“That as the Respondents/Contemnors do not seem to be penitent and/or remorseful, because the court watched their demeanours during the proceedings, the law should follow its cause accordingly.
“That the 5 Respondents/Contemnors shall be and are hereby committed to prison for 3 months during which period they should purge themselves of their contempt. Any contemnor who is not present in court is hereby ordered to be arrested and committed to prison accordingly for contempt.”
Ikeanyibe and the other men were members of the Isuofia Community Caretaker Committee set up by the Anambra State government to broker peace among the feuding groups in the community.
After the reconciliation exercise, the committe was to organise an election to pick an accepted executive to run the affairs of the community.
The exercise was perceived not to have been properly carried out, hence the plaintiff/applicant-Deacon Ifediba, also a member of the committee, pulled out and dragged the other five men to court.
The court issued an order on April 1, 2010 restraining them from organising the Town Union General election on April 3, 2010, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice brought by Mr Betram Nnakenyi, counsel to Deacon Ifediba.
The men ignored the order and went ahead to conduct the election.
By Chika Chiedozie/Awka
