An investigative journalist and farmer from Akwa Ibom State, Ibanga Isine, has voiced serious concerns after being forcibly removed from a courtroom prior to the hearing of his case. Isine, who is the complainant in the matter Commissioner of Police v. Abdullahi Yusuf, claims that police officers acting on the orders of Magistrate Godwin Edemekong ejected him from the premises.
The incident unfolded following the reported humiliation of other journalists who were present to cover the proceedings. The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state has since condemned the actions, with Council Secretary Nsikak Esenowo describing it as an assault on open justice, transparency, and press freedom—rights enshrined in Sections 22 and 39 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution. Esenowo has called on Chief Judge Ekaette Fabian Obot to launch an investigation.
Isine recounted that his legal ordeal stems from repeated invasions of his farmland by herders and their cattle, which caused extensive damage to crops worth millions of naira and destroyed the farm’s irrigation system. He added that farm workers were also harassed, and on one occasion, a herder allegedly brandished a cutlass and chased him away. Despite petitioning Police Commissioner CP Baba Azare and the Commissioner for Internal Security, the herders continued their activities unchecked.
Eventually, a suspect named Abdullahi Yusuf was arrested and arraigned. Isine noted that the Investigating Police Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Alomona, informed him that the suspect allegedly stabbed a police officer with a dagger while trying to escape. “If a suspect could attack an armed police officer inside police headquarters, one can only imagine the dangers unarmed farmers face daily from violent herders,” Isine lamented.
The journalist also expressed frustration with police prosecutor Mr. Blessing Essien, who allegedly withheld information about the case. Isine said the prosecutor insisted he appear in court on June 18, 2026, but only provided case details an hour before the hearing. “What is more disturbing is that while insisting I must be present, the prosecutor had already filed an application to stand down the matter and was himself absent,” Isine revealed.
Isine maintains he did nothing to warrant such treatment and only appeared in compliance with the prosecutor’s directive to pursue justice for his destroyed property. He has called on the Chief Judge to intervene and urged the Nigerian Bar Association to probe the prosecutor’s conduct, including his failure to provide accurate information and notify him of hearing dates. Additionally, Isine appealed to Governor Umo Eno to ensure strict enforcement of the Akwa Ibom State Anti-Open Grazing Law and other laws safeguarding farmers and agricultural investments.