A RIVERS State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has discharged and acquitted 12 travellers accused of killing a female police officer, Inspector Christiana Erekere.
Erekere was attached to the Taabaa Police Division in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of the state.
News Point Nigeria reports that Justice Augusta Chukwu, who delivered the judgment on Monday, ruled that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants were responsible for the officer’s death, which occurred on April 25, 2024, during a stop-and-search operation.
The defendants: Efeoghene Uwheraka (the groom), Joy Uwhereka, Shirley Wealth, Napoleon Uwhereka, Ejiro Ejogbamu, Moses Agege, Precious Iyota, Kikelomo Odusanya, Wealth Ojoh, Ighofose Oke, Blessing Ovie, and Emeka Joshua were on their way to Akwa Ibom State for a wedding when the incident occurred.
According to reports, the confrontation began when officers at the checkpoint questioned the validity of one of the vehicles’ documents, which allegedly led to an altercation resulting in Erekere’s death.
In her judgment, Justice Chukwu stated that the evidence presented by the six prosecution witnesses was contradictory and largely based on hearsay, as none of them could prove that the actions of the defendants led to the death of the deceased.
She further noted that an autopsy report revealed that the officer did not die from physical injuries but from an underlying health condition.
The court consequently discharged and acquitted all 12 defendants, who had spent 18 months in custody, and awarded ₦1 million each as compensation for their unlawful detention.
Speaking after the ruling, counsel for the first and third defendants, Sunny Nwokoro, commended the judgment.
“Murder must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, not based on emotions. The court agreed that the prosecution failed to establish a direct link between the defendants and the death,” Nwokoro said.
Another defence counsel, Robert Uye-Awaji, described the judgment as a triumph of justice.
“The court’s decision was not on technicalities but on the fundamental requirement of the law. There were clear doubts in the prosecution’s case, and the defendants deserved to be acquitted,” he added.
However, Prosecuting Counsel, Celestine Dickson, expressed disappointment, noting that the prosecution team would review the judgment with the police authorities before deciding on the next step.
“It is shocking that a group of travellers could attack a police officer, and yet the court found no grounds for conviction. We will review the judgment thoroughly,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ruling sparked mixed reactions in the courtroom as the families of the acquitted defendants erupted in jubilation, while the relatives of the deceased broke down in tears.
The late officer’s daughters, Rita and Fortune Erekere, rejected the court’s decision, insisting that their mother was murdered and had no underlying medical condition.
Her brother, Amanikpo Bariledum, also condemned the judgment, vowing that the family will appeal.