As sanctity of marriage contracts and its binding principles continue to depreciate in today’s society, resulting in high cases of infidelity everywhere, an unfortunate husband of a 35-year old woman, has allegedly escaped assassination.
The victim, IfiokImoh Sunday Akpan, 40, is now unsettled because a 78-year old proprietor of a popular private school in the outskirts of Uyo, who packed out of his house, abandoning his wife two years ago, has now reportedly gained full possession of a young man’s 35-years old wife.
A petition dated May 14, 2023, and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, reveals that Mr IfiokImoh Sunday Akpan was allegedly attacked by armed men at his residence, No. 1 Akpakpan Street, Ekpri Nsukara Offot, Uyo, on Thursday, 9th May, 2024.
The petition endorsed by Emem Adam Esq of Emem Adam & Associates, pointed out that his two years and 10 months’ old marriage was suffering acrimony, due to the fact that “Dr Fabian Samuel Essiet was enticing and habouring his wife.”
Noting that Dr Fabian Essiet and his wife, Mrs Ndifreke Effiong Sunday, were conspiring to eliminate him, so as “to pave way for their continuous amorous relationship”, the petitioner called on the police to “launch discrete investigation into the complaint with a view to unraveling the motif behind the dastardly acts of the suspect to avert loss of life and property.”
Earlier, the victim of alleged assassination and husband to Ndifreke Effiong Sunday, Mr IfiokImoh Sunday Akpan, had on May 13, 2023, filed a suit at a Customary Court, Odot in Nsit Atai LGA against his wife, Ndifreke Effiong Sunday and Dr Fabian Samuel Essiet, who are 1st and 2nd Defendants respectively.
The civil summons No. ODC/22/2024, is seeking dissolution of the two year-old marriage on four grounds including: adultery, insubordination/stubbornness, ‘voodooism’, and denial of conjugal rights.
The Plentiff also seeks an Order of the Court granting him custody of their two years and seven months’ old son, Miracle IfiokImoh Sunday.
He equally prays “for an Order of the Court on the 2nd Defendant to pay to the Plentiff the sum of (N5,000,000) Five million Naira only, being damages for enticing, harbouring and committing adultery with his wife.”
In a physical interview with WatchmanPost in which Mr IfiokImoh narrated his ordeal for over one hour, he lamented the pains he had endured within the last nearly three years of his marriage.
He said, “I got married to Miss Ndifreke Effiong Sunday from Odot 1 in Nsit Atai Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in 2021. We had our Traditional Marriage Ceremony on the 26th of June, 2021 and our White Wedding on the 3rd of July, 2021 respectively, meaning that our marriage is about 2 years and 10 months.
“My wife was working at Monef Schools. She was heavily pregnant when we got married. So after three months of our marriage, she put to birth on October 5th, 2021. She was supposed to resume from maternity leave on the 18th of December 2021.
“But because the school had already closed for the term, she resumed on January 5th, 2022. There was an issue in the school that day. The wife of the proprietor, Mrs Nseabasi Fabian Essiet was said to have pursued my wife out of the school because she was earlier dismissed.
“The man, Dr Fabian called me to apologise for what happend. I didn’t know about it, because my wife never told me about it. I wanted to make a formal report to the police for assault against my wife. But Dr Fabian said I shouldn’t institute such a complain because it would affect his businesses.
“In April 2022, he gave my wife N480,000 (Four hundred and eighty thousand Naira) to get a shop. She started the business on the 13th of April 2022. The business was not moving very well. So he gave her additional N720,000 Naira to get another shop in another location.
“I was worried because I couldn’t understand why he was so benevolent towards my wife. Then I started suspecting them. I had to investigate them and I was surprised at my finding. I got to understand that the man is not a giver. It is only my wife that he always shows his benevolence.
“He gave N5,000,000 (Five million Naira) for her bridal shop. He used to give her N20,000 recharge card on a weekly basis, and other such lavish gifts.”
WatchmanPost understands that the matter, in which Fabian abandoned the wife, while frolicking with Mrs Ndifreke Sunday, got to a point, where it was being attempted for settlement at the Akwa Ibom State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo.
Dr Fabian Essiet was said to have further complicated the matter by manipulating the account details, where the wife no more had access to the proceeds of their business in Monef Schools, Monef Farms and Monef Bakery and Confectionery.
Following the development, the aggrieved wife, Nseabasi Fabian Essiet dragged her husband to court, for shutting her out of the financial progress of their businesses.
The civil suit No:HU/421/2022, filed on October 18, 2022 in the State High Court, had Monef Schools, Monef Farms, Monef Bakery and Confectionery and Mrs Nseabasi Fabian Essiet as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Plaintiffs, while Dr Fabian Samuel Essiet, Stanbic IBTC PLC, First Bank PLC and Keystone Bank Ltd as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants respectively.
The case instituted at the High Court of Uyo, sought reliefs including reinstatement of Mrs Nseabasi Essiet as a co-signatory to the accounts of the companies.
Consequently, an Order of the Court on the matter reads in parts: “It is accordingly declared as, that by virtue of Section 817 of the Company and Allied Matters Act, 2020 and the Certificate of Business Name Registration of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Plaintiffs, dated the 27th day of January, 2020; Thursday, August 29 2013, and Tuesday, September 3, 2013, the evidence of the documents sharing the registration of the firms in issue, the said firms are jointly owned by all the partners.
“The judgement issued at Uyo under the Seal of Court and Hand of the Presiding Judge and Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot, on Tuesday, 21st March, 2023, it is hereby ordered as follows:
“That the 4th Plentiff be made a co-signatory with the 1st Defendant in respect of the accounts held in the names of the Monef Schools, Monef Farms, and Monef Bakery and Confectionery with full rights of equal partnership in the said Farms.
“By virtue of Section 27 of the Partnership Law Cap 33 Laws of Akwa Ibom State 2000, 1st Defendant is ordered to furnish the 4th Plaintiff with a comprehensive statement of accounts maintained by Monef Schools, Monef Farms and Monef Bakery and Confectionery with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants from January 2022 till date.”
However, a Certificate of Registration of Monef Schools cited by our reporter reveals that the business has seven directors namely: Fabian Samuel Essiet, Nseabasi Fabian Essiet, Ofonime Imo Essiet, Ekandem Imo Essiet, Mfonobong Imo Essiet, Charles Ebongho Sunday, and Essien Ebongo.
Contacted for his reaction, Dr Fabian who did not respond to WatchmanPost on Sunday, replied to text message sent to him with emojis on Monday morning.
Fabian Essiet who never denied or affirm any of the allegations, later texted our reporter at press time with the following words, “Please when you’re led to write/publish rubbish, keep money to defend yourself against DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER o! ! !”
On her part, Mrs Ndifreke Effiong Sunday told our reporter that he should come to court and hear the matter when it will come up.
A legal practitioner who reacted to the allegations on the condition of anonymity, said Mrs Nseabasi Fabian Essiet may further apply to the Court for enforcement of the judgement delivered by the Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot.
He said, “the 75 year old woman can recover everything. The judgement held that all the seven directors were entitled to equal rights of dividends. She can apply for enforcement of that judgement.
“The man has committed contempt of Court by not acting according to the judgement. To understand that he did not appeal that judgement is even an added advantage.”
