March 20, (THEWILL) – A University Don, Prof. Ignatius UduK, recently sentenced to three years imprisonment for electoral offences, has been granted bail on health grounds by the High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Thursday.
The presiding judge, Justice Okon Okon, admitted Uduk to bail following an application for bail by his counsellor, Chief Kalu Umeh (SAN).
Umeh prayed the court to grant Uduk bail to attend to his ailing health, pending the determination of the appeal against his conviction.
Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr Daniel Nwike, opposed the bail application and urged the court not to admit Uduk to bail.
THEWILL recalls that a Uyo High Court, presided by Justice Bassey Nkanang, had, on February 5, sentenced Uduk to a year’s jail term.
The court found him guilty of electoral offences committed during the 2019 election in Essien Udim, Akwa Ibom State.
Ruling on the bail application, Okon admitted Uduk to bail in the sum of N2 million, with two sureties.
The Judge added that the applicant must not travel out of the country within the period of the bail and should deposit his international passport with the court.
Speaking on behalf of Uduk’s legal team, Sen. Ita Enag, thanked the court for admitting their client to bail while the appeal against his conviction remained on course.
He promised to expedite action to meet the bail conditions so that the applicant would be released to treat himself, pending the appeal.
