Tuesday August 5, 2025
TheNewsDESK |
By Our REPORTER
Magistrate Immaculata Idiong last Wednesday discharged and acquitted ThePost editor, Comrade Gideon Ekere of the alleged defamation suit brought against him by the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Commodore Emmanuel Effedua.
The case which was instituted in February 2023 by the Nigerian Police on behalf of Commodore Emmanuel Effedua emanated from a news story with the caption, ‘Maritime Academy sacks whistle blower who exposed corruption of the Rector’ published in ThePost newspaper of 1st September, 2021, which one Adamu Jibril, a former staff of the Maritime Academy, Oron had accused the rector of victimization.
According to Adamu Jibril, he was sacked by the board of the institution without any justification, adding that the rector was also sponsoring the media to castigate him as a blackmailer.
According to the eighteen paragraph petition, which was submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC and the National Assembly, Adamu Jibril said after his resumption as rector, Effedua instituted a fraudulent scheme in connivance with the Head of procurement, Bursar and cashier to siphon public funds using him (Adamu) and other willing staffers of the academy in the scheme.
Adamu Jibril further noted that he protested that after using his account to divert over N62m between 2018 and 2020, that it was unfair for the management and the cartel not to assist him when he needed assistance. Adamu’s mother was said to have been seriously ill, which prompted him to seek assistance from the Rector, Effedua, to help him (Adamu) attend to his mother’s health issue. He however became frustrated when the rector refused to help, thereby prompted Adamu to raise alarm. He was subsequently sacked unjustly from the academy.
After the publication on ThePost newspaper, Emmanuel Effedua submitted series of petitions to the Nigeria Police Force, which Gideon Ekere was arrested, detained and subsequently arraigned before Magistrate Immaculata Idiong in Magistrate Court 8 along Fulga street, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital on a one count charge of defamation.
Effedua also instituted another court case with the same excuse at the Abuja High court against ThePost editor, which was also struck out for lack or merit.
When invited to give his testimony at the Magistrate court, Uyo, Effedua said he was aware of the petition by Adamu Jibril to the anti craft agencies and the National Assembly, adding that they all invited him, which he honoured. He noted that noting criminating was found against him after he honoured all the invitations and told the court that what ThePost newspaper published had portrayed him in a bad light.
ThePost editor, Comrade Gideon Ekere, during his defense had told the court that what his newspaper published was as a result of the petition submitted by Adamu Jibril through his lawyer, Michael Edet & Associates to the EFCC, ICPC and the National Assembly, which he said is within his constitutional right as a trained journalist to inform the public what they should know.
Ekere further noted that his office had later met with Emmanuel Effedua, which he also gave his own side of the story and was published by the same newspaper, ThePost. He however wondered why two people would use the same news medium to express their feelings about a particular development and one person turns around to claim he was defamed. He told the court that the story was a human interest one, which he said was never intended to hurt or put anyone in a bad light.
ThePost newspaper and Comrade Gideon Ekere were represented in court by the former Commissioner for Justice in Akwa Ibom State, Chief Victor Iyanam, represented by the Head of practice of Chief Victor Iyanam & Co., Barr. Ubong Offiong. While the case was being prosecuted by the Nigeria Police Force, represented by Sunday Ogar.
Delivering its ruling, Magistrate Immaculata Idiong noted that the burden of proof is always on the plaintiff, adding that the prosecution failed woefully in that part. The magistrate added that the said story came from a petition submitted to the National Assembly, ICPC and EFCC, which Effedua accepted to have been invited for investigation, wondering why the same story could be said to be defamatory or false. She however discharged and acquitted the editor, Gideon Ekere of the one count charge of defamation.
