After he was arrested in 2022 over an alleged rape, armed robbery and other crimes, a children, sexual and Gender-based Violence (GBV) Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, has found one Michael Arinze not guilty of the said offences contained in nine-count charge against him.
Consequently, the court presided over by Honourable Justice Peace Otti discharged and acquitted the defendant; who was a two hundred level student of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University when he was arrested.
Delivering her judgement, Justice Otti noted that facts presented by the prosecution were not proven beyond reasonable doubt, which is why the court could not grant the conviction of the defendant.
She, however, reasoned that something must have happened, leading to the arrest, detention and prosecution of Michael out of thousands of students in the university, but maintained that the court does not dwell on speculations; rather on concrete, verifiable, compelling and unassailable evidence before it.
She further advised the defendant to be serious with his studies going forward, and not to be found wanting again.
It was gathered that Michael, aged twenty-six and who lived at a lodge in Otoko village Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area of the state, was arrested by the anticult unit of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, and handed over to the police for allegedly raping under gun point one Onyinye Ezenwaka, aged twenty-one, as well as dispossessing her of the sum of twenty thousand naira.
Among other things, the court noted that no medical evidence was tendered to prove the allegation of rape, even when the complainant claimed to have received medical attention at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku Awka, and that no independent candidate testified in support of the Prosecution.
The court also entertained cross-examination of a prosecution witness in the case of Okechukwu Okoye, thirty-five, a security guard at a church in Onitsha, Okechukwu Nwazota, thirty-six, and Amaechi Anaonwu, forty-one, also security men in the neighborhood; who were accused of gang rapping a nine-year-old girl, and later adjourned the matter to thirty first May for continuation of trial.
The case of Wisdom Edem, who is accused of raping a ten-year-old girl at Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area, of the state, was not mentioned, though it was previously adjourned for ruling on bail application.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune