A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Monday discharged and acquitted 12 travellers who had been standing trial for the murder of a female police inspector, Christiana Erekere.
PUNCH Metro recalled that Inspector Erekere was attached to the Taaba Police Division in Khana Local Government Area when the incident occurred.
The defendants were arrested on April 24, 2024, after they encountered the deceased during a stop-and-search operation near Taaba while travelling to Akwa Ibom for a traditional marriage.
Delivering judgment, Justice Augusta Chukwu held that the prosecution failed to prove the charges of conspiracy and murder beyond reasonable doubt.
The 12 people, Joy Uwheraka, Shirley Wealth, Napoleon Uwheraka, Ejiro Ejogbamu, Moses Agege, Precious Iyot, Kikelomo Odusanyo, Wealth Ojoh, Efeoghene Uwheraka, Ighofose Oke, Blessing Ovie and Emeka Joshua, were therefore discharged and acquitted.
Justice Chukwu said the witnesses and evidence tendered by the prosecution did not establish a direct link between the accused and the alleged offence.
The judge subsequently awarded N1 million each to the discharged individuals as compensation for unlawful arrest and detention.
Outside the courtroom, defence counsel expressed satisfaction with the ruling.
Robert Igwere described the outcome as a vindication of the burden of proof in criminal trials, saying the judgment was based on the prosecution’s failure to remove reasonable doubt rather than on a technicality.
“In a criminal trial, the burden of proof is on the prosecution, and it must be done beyond a reasonable doubt.
Any pocket of doubt leaves the court with no option than to hold that there is a doubt in the case of the prosecution,” Igwere said. “The judgment has explicitly shown that there were doubts in the case of the prosecution. My Lord has done justice to that.”
Prosecution counsel Celestine Dickson said she was “shocked” by the decision and indicated the police would review the judgment and advise on next steps. “I will not say that it will be a norm that a group of travellers will just move into a police station, beat up a police officer, and the person passes on the same day, and the court will now come to the conclusion that those people should walk away,” she said.
Dickson added that the prosecution team would meet with police authorities to examine the judgment and decide on further action.