Just In: Another Nigerian Professor Sentenced to Three Years in Prison, Reason Emerges

Just In: Another Nigerian Professor Sentenced to Three Years in Prison, Reason Emerges

  • Mr. Ignatius Uduk, a professor of Human Kinetics at the University of Uyo, has been sentenced to three years in prison for perjury and publishing false election results during the 2019 election
  • The professor, who was the returning officer in the Essien Udim State Constituency during the 2019 poll, reportedly announced and published election results that were at variance with the signed certificate of return
  • Justice Bassey Nkanang, State High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, delivered the landmark judgement on Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Uyo, Akwa Ibom state - On Wednesday, February 5, a State High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital, sentenced a Nigerian professor to three years in prison for perjury and publishing of false election results.

UNIUYO professor jailed, reason emerges
Court jails UNIUYO professor over electoral fraud. Image for illustration purposes. Photo credit: Federal High Court of Nigeria
Source: Facebook

UNIUYO professor jailed for electoral fraud

Professor Uduk of the University of Uyo, was found guilty of announcing and publishing false election results in the Essien Udim State Constituency election, where he served as the returning officer during the 2019 general elections.

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He was prosecuted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on charges of perjury and announcing and publishing false results.

Mr Uduk was first arraigned in December 2020 after an arrest warrant was issued on him a previous month over repeated failures to appear in court for the commencement of his trial.

The professor had pleaded not guilty to the three charges slammed on him by INEC.

The case marks the second high-profile conviction of a Nigerian professor for electoral fraud.

The court's verdict on Wednesday

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, the judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang held that the prosecution counsel, Clement Onwuewunor, has discharged the burden of proof that the defendant published false election results when he served as a collation/returning officer.

As reported by PremiumTimes, the judge discharged and acquitted the defendant on count one—announcement of false election result—but convicted him on counts two and three: publication of false election results and perjury.

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Therefore, the judge sentenced the professor to three years for count two and the same prison terms for count three. Both terms are to run concurrently.

Uduk jailed 4 years after colleague bagged similar sentence

Legit.ng understands that Uduk's conviction and sentencing came four years after his colleague, Peter Ogban, a professor of Soil Science at the University of Calabar, was jailed for three years for a similar offence.

Peter Ogban was convicted and jailed for falsifying election results to help Godswill Akpabio, the now Senate president, in the senatorial election in Akwa Ibom north-west in 2019.

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Court jails suspended UNICAL professor, lawyer

In a similar development, Legit.ng earlier reported that the court took action against the embattled Prof. Cyril Ndifon of UNICAL, and one of his lawyers.

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The professor and his lawyer were sent to the Kuje prison following an order handed down by the high court in Abuja.

Ndifon has been in a court battle over allegations of sexual harassment and interference with justice.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Esther Odili avatar

Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institue of Journalism (NIJ), where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. In 2024, Esther obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.