Court acquits corps member accused of slaying boyfriend in Akwa Ibom
A 2021 Batch ‘A’ member of the National Youths Service Corps, Akwa Ibom State, Chidinma Paschaline Odume, who was standing trial over the gruesome homicide of one Akwaowo Japheth 26, has been released by the State High Court sitting in Uyo, the state capital.
Ms Odume was discharged on Thursday, January 13, 2022, by Justice Bassey Nkanang.
It could be recalled that Ms Odume was said to have killed Akwaowo in cold blood during an altercation between them on January 10, 202, at the deceased’s Abak Road residence in Uyo.
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 picked up a machete and attempted to kill her. She said the accused dispossessed him and used the same machete on him, which led to his death.”
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.
