Deborah Okezie Achibong, the mother of Don Davis Achibong, the 11-year-old student of Deeper Life School assaulted by his schoolmates, has been banned from further comments on social media.
The Magistrate Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state warned Deborah from posting any material on the issue on social media.
Deborah had utilized the social media to amplify the assault against her son in the school and leveraged on it to demand for justice.
Two young teenagers, both of them 13-year-old boys and officials of the Deeper Life School have been arraigned at the Magistrate court in Uyo over the case.
The officials were charged on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit Felony to wit: indecent treatment of boys under fourteen and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 556 of the criminal code, cap.38, Vol.2. Laws of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, 2000.
The minors were charged for unlawfully assaulting Don-Davies Archibong punishable under section 218(1) of the Criminal code, cap.38, vol.2 Laws of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, 2000, including section 362(1) of the Laws of Akwa Ibom State.
The trial is being held in closed-door since the case involves minors.
Lawyer to the assaulted boy’s family, David Okokon, said, the court followed the standard of proceedings obtainable globally in making the case a closed-door trial.
”Why the court did this was because, the court knows that the press has every power to get the information from the lawyers, which I am here with you.
“Ordinarily, the court had warned that parties should not address press because they want to allow the proceedings to be in the walls of the court in its merit, so that lawyers would not talk in and out of the matter and then confuse the public.
“In terms of the proceedings, it was a normal trial and legal proceedings were carried out. The mother to the molested boy opened the floor and the told her story which was carried by the press. But the only difference is that this time she is in the court but there is no discrepancy in what she said earlier, and her statement to the police was admitted as her evidence,”he said.
Also speaking, the Counsel to the defendant, Barr.Nojin Tairu, said; “by standard like this, when you have started a proceedings, you are not allowed to be making comments about the nitty-gritty of the matter.
”But I need to explain this to you so that we do not run foul of what is the standard practice everywhere in the world. At the end of the proceedings you will have all the fact and all that transpired in the Court.
“The matter is subjudice it would not be so decent to be hearing other version of the matter.
“The public’s right to know what happened in court is circumscribed by the practice procedure of the Court. It is pertinent that this is a special court proceedings involving child’s right procedure for trial. That was the reason why all person including men of the fourth realm were asked to leave the court premises.
“This is actually a juvenile court, and the law and the court is weary of exposing some things that may have harmful effect on the children involved.
”There are three children in this matter, we need to be careful and sensitive. I can assure you that at the end the proceedings journalists would have the whole revelation regarding the matter,” he added.
The case was adjourned to February 10, 2021 for continuation of hearing.
