A 2021 Batch ‘A’ member of the National Youths Service Corps, Akwa Ibom State, Chidinma Paschaline Odume, who was standing trial over the gruesome murder of one Akwaowo Japheth 26, has been discharged by the State High Court sitting in Uyo, the state capital.
Ms Odume was discharged on Thursday, January 13, 2022, by Justice Bassey Nkanang after it was established that she acted in self-defense.
It could be recalled that Ms Odume was said to have killed Akwaowo in cold blood during an altercation between them on January 10, 2022, at the deceased’s Abak Road residence in Uyo.
However, police preliminary investigations, according to the Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, revealed that the “deceased (Akwaowo) took the accused (Ms Odume) to his house and while in the house, Akwaowo Japhet in a bid to rape her, picked up a machete and attempted to kill her.
Odume said the accused dispossessed him of the knife and used same on him, which led to his death.”
It was gathered that the family of the deceased never showed up in the court at least once despite several calls to them to come for their son’s death.
It was further gathered that the deceased had several pending records of rape cases against him.
However, the Presiding judge, Justice Nkanang, in his ruling struck out the case and discharged the accused person following the Nolle Prosequi (formal notice of discontinuation of the prosecution without a conviction) entered by the Attorney General of the State, dated January 10, 2022.
The court noted that the action was pursuant to section 211 (1) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 71 of the Criminal Code Procedure Law of Akwa Ibom.
