detained Biafran, Innocent Orji, lost his father in
2012 and his mother in 2016,” they further
lamented.
However, matters took a twisting turn yesterday as The Leadership of the Indigenous People Of Biafra Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who indicated interest in the matter stormed the court session through their team of Lawyers, BILIE HUMAN RIGHTS INITIVE, CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATES OF NIGERIA and troops of supporters and well-wishers as the final hearing and judgement was slated.
In his judge, the Judge weighed in details all the mechanisms, analogies and intricacies of Law and posited that for the prosecution to succeed in a case of murder, he must prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the defendant has committed murder since the evidence presented must prove that 1) a death occurred, 2) the cause of death, 3) that the death was caused by an act of the defendant and 4) that the act was done with the intention of causing death.
Furthermore, councils to the 2nd to the 17th defendant questioned if the Prosecution is his final written submission has proved beyond reasonable doubt the allegation of murder and whether the prosecution in his final written submission proved that the murder was caused by an act of the defendants.
In his judgement, the judge posited that there was no enough evidence to substantiate the cause of death and that there was no direct evidence linking the defendants to the death of the deceased. The judge however read that where direct evidence of eye witnesses failed, the court can use circumstancial evidence but lamented the various loopholes and complicity inherent in the use of circumstancial evidence which must be narrowly examined where there is no direct evidence of eye witnesses pointing to the case of the Biblical story of Joseph of Egypt and the hidden cup in Benjamin’s bag of rice.
However, the Judge sentenced the 1st defendant Innocent Orji for three (3) years in Prison custody dating from when he was remanded.
Hon. Arinzechukwu Awogu, a Senior Special Assistant On Political Matters to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State expressed satisfaction on the judgement and louded the insight and professionalism displayed by of the Judge in nipping the bug in the eye and ending the 10 years lingering legal battle.
– Onuoha Endurance Ebelechukwu is a Rights Activist, Seasoned Journalist and Prolific Writer from the Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.(09073378161)
