The Chef Magistrate Court sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, has declined a bail application seeking the release of the detained state publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Barr. Ewa Okpo.
He was accused of defaming a non-serving senator for Uyo Senatorial District (Akwa Ibom North – East), Barr. Effiong Bob, through social media platform.
Okpo, a vocal critic of the policies and programmes of the current administration of Governor Umo Eno, had, in recent times, been outspoken about alleged human rights abuses, poor governance, systemic oppression, injustice, and the stifling of opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Senator Bob was said to have waded in and defended the government, while urging critics to be constructive in their views, a remark that drew the ire of Okpo, who was said to have resorted to a fierce attack on the ex-lawmaker.
Consequently, Bob, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and chairman of the Uyo Senatorial District Political Stakeholders’ Forum, dragged him to court by petitioning the commissioner of police (CP), Baba Azare, wh ordered his immediate arrest.
He was thereafter charged before the Magistrates’ Court, with his bail application denied, and later committed to the Uyo Medium Custodial Centre pending the hearing of his bail application on July 21, 2026.
However, it was gathered at the weekend that the matter had been transferred to the Federal High Court, Abuja, after the Uyo Magistrates’ Court declined to further entertain it for lack of jurisdiction.
“His arrest followed Barr. Okpo’s criticism of a remark by Mr Effiong Bob, who had advised Akwa Ibom people against criticising the state governor, arguing that Governor Umo Eno, his kinsman from the same Nsit Ubium local government area, has performed well, and deserved no such critical attacks,” a lawyer, who declined his name in print, said.
The lawyer appealed to his colleagues and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Uyo branch, to rise in defence of their own.
“Following Okpo’s reaction on a Facebook live video, which reportedly offended Mr Bob, a petition alleging defamation was submitted to the Nigeria Police and Okpo, was subsequently arrested at his residence in the early hours of Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
“He was arraigned before the Uyo Magistrate Court on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. The matter was adjourned until July 21, 2026, after the court raised the issue of jurisdiction, and the magistrate ordered that he be remanded at the Federal Correctional Centre, Uyo, pending further proceedings,” he recalled.
The lawyer said, “Okpo is a lawyer, Senator Bob is a lawyer, and he’s standing trial in the court presided over by a lawyer. I believe it will not be too difficult to call all the parties to order,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the national leadership of the PDP in Abuja has expressed concern over the alleged gagging of its publicity secretary, wondering why the right to freedom of speech, as enshrined in the country’s constitution, should be trampled upon with impunity.
