A State High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has struck out the case against a National Youth Service (NYSC) corps member accused of killing a man in the state.
Chidinma Odume, a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, was standing trial for allegedly hacking Akwaowo Japheth to death on January 10, 2021.
In her confessional statement to the police, Ms Odume claimed that the late Japheth threatened to kill her upon her refusal to oblige his request to remove her clothes so he could have sex with her.
In his ruling on Thursday, the judge, Bassey Nkanang, struck out the case and discharged the accused person following the Nolle Prosequi entered on January 10 by the state attorney general.
Justice Nkanang said the ruling was pursuant to section 211 (1) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 71 (1) of the Criminal Code Procedure Law of Akwa Ibom State.
“This case shall be and is hereby struck out and the accused person accordingly discharged,” the judge ruled.
Nolle Prosequi is a formal notice of discontinuation of the prosecution without a conviction.
Ms Odume was posted to Uyo, in 2020 for her mandatory one year NYSC programme.
PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach the Attorney General, Uko Udom, for comments as of the time of filing this report.
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