Some officials of the NCS in Uyo assaulted and tortured Effiong, using blunt instruments to forcefully shave off his beard.
The official of the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, who assaulted and tortured human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, using blunt instruments to forcefully shave off his beard has been identified as Eno-Obong Gideon Eyoren.
SaharaReporters learnt that Eno-Obong is a member of the Ku Kloc Klan (KKK) Confraternity; he was initiated in 2003 and he has been the Chief Guard (CG) in the cult.
Sources also revealed that the notorious prison warder has been arrested for unlawful possession of firearms, robberies and murder in the past.
SaharaReporters had on August 11 reported that some officials of the NCS in Uyo assaulted and tortured Effiong, using blunt instruments to forcefully shave off his beard.
The lawyer was injured in the process, SaharaReporters had gathered.
Speaking on the identity of the warder who led the assault, a top source said, “His name is Eno-Obong Gideon Eyoren. He is a member of the KKK. Some years ago, he was involved in some regular armed robberies. He stayed in Ekid Itam 2 in the Itu Local government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
“As as a warder, he was arrested for unlawful possession of firearms in 2009, and he was also arrested for murder in 2011. He was involved in the crisis at Eket with inmates. He also went for armed robbery at Mbia-Obong Ayaya off Oron Road, Uyo where he claimed to be an officer and they handed over his gun to him because it belonged to the government.
“The KKK confraternity is Ku Kloc Klan and he was initiated in 2003 and he has been the Chief Guard (CG) in the confraternity. He is from Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. He decided to join the wardens to cover up his wrong doings. In Uyo township, he was one of those who ganged up to murder one boxer at the stadium named Ametie Peter.”
SaharaReporters had reported that Inibehe was jailed by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot for alleged contempt.
The lawyer was last two Wednesdays secretly transferred from the Ikot Ekpene Medium Security Custodial Center to the Uyo Custodial Center.
“Staff of the Nigerian Prison Service at the Uyo Medium Security Custodial Centre have forcibly shaved Inibehe Effiong’s beard. We were denied access to see but someone who saw him confirmed this,” a source had told SaharaReporters.
Obot had on July 27, 2022, ordered the one-month imprisonment of Effiong over alleged contempt.
The human rights lawyer, who is also the National Legal Adviser of the African Action Congress (AAC), was in court to defend Leo Ekpenyong, a lawyer, in a libel suit filed by Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom.
Meanwhile, the illegal imprisonment has attracted condemnation from civil society organisations and many Nigerians.
A non-governmental organisation, ‘Nude Nigeria-The Best Man,’ in collaboration with Next-of-Kin and some concerned youths of Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State had two Saturday ago taken to the streets to protest the incarceration of Effiong.
The protesters, who displayed placards with inscriptions such as: “Injury to one is injury to all”, “Free Inibehe Effiong Now!”, “Justice for Inibehe Effiong,” and “We demand immediate release of Inibehe,” called on to the Judge to immediately order the release of the lawyer.
Addressing journalists during the joint protest in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the convener of ‘Nude Nigeria-The Best Man’, Princess Mikki Attah, expressed disappointment over the continued incarceration of Effiong whom she described as a law-abiding citizen.
She said she decided to join other voices in calling for Effiong’s release after learning about how Effiong was sent to jail for asking the Chief Judge to send security men out of the courtroom.