By Okoi Obono-Obla, Lead Counsel
A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting at Moore Road, Calabar, presided over by Chief Magistrate E. Ecoma, has declined jurisdiction to hear and determine a four-count charge brought by the Nigeria Police Force, Calabar, against media personality Miss Ursula Onah Agbor.
In a considered ruling delivered on the 13th August 2025, Chief Magistrate Ecoma upheld the submission of Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, learned counsel to Miss Agbor, that the four-count charge preferred against the Defendant was incompetent, vague and incurably defective due to the failure to provide sufficient particulars to enable the Defendant to adequately defend herself—an omission that constitutes a violation of her fundamental right to fair hearing as entrenched by. Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and section 216 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Cross River State 2016.
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Consequently, Chief Magistrate Ecoma struck out the charge and discharged and acquitted the Defendant, Miss Agbor.
Chief Obono-Obla, Mrs Justina Obono-Obla, Barrister B. Olusegun and Dr. Sam Eboh represented Miss Agbor in Court.
