Court vacates arrest warrant issued against Akwa Ibom PDP guber candidate

A chief magistrate court in Abuja has vacated the warrant of arrest issued against Umo Eno, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom state.

TheCable had reported that Emmanuel Iyanna, a senior magistrate, issued the warrant on December 23 after convicting the governorship candidate on charges bordering on “cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property”.

The complainant, in the suit marked CR/94/2022, is one Edet Godwin Etim.

Eno’s campaign organisation has denied knowledge of the suit.

However, in a motion on notice filed before the court on Monday, the governorship candidate, through his team of lawyers, prayed the court to set aside the warrant of arrest.

In the affidavit in support of the motion, Samuel lkpo, one of the lawyers, said the defendant applicant (Eno) found out about the suit and the warrant of arrest via social media.

Eno said he has “never been invited by the police on any matter nor has he ever made any statement to the police in connection with this case”, adding that he has “never been served with any court process”.

The defendant applicant (Eno) also prayed the court to treat his application as a matter of urgency because “there is much tension in Akwa lbom state”.

Although the hearing was fixed for Thursday, the matter was heard on Wednesday.

Ruling on the application, the senior magistrate granted the prayer of the applicant and vacated the warrant of arrest.

He also set aside the entire proceedings and judgment.

“The warrant issued against the defendant/applicant by this court on the 23rd December, 2022, is hereby set aside and the entire judgment set aside accordingly; as it negates the principle of fair hearing, justice and equity,” the court ruled.