Armed robbery suspect gets freedom after 10yrs in jail

A man arrested and remanded in prison since 2007 for allegedly giving information to robbers that attacked a Bureau de Change operator in Abuja has been discharged and acquitted. Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf of an FCT High Court in Maitama in his judgment yesterday held that there was a deliberate act by the Police to frustrate […]

A man arrested and remanded in prison since 2007 for allegedly giving information to robbers that attacked a Bureau de Change operator in Abuja has been discharged and acquitted.

Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf of an FCT High Court in Maitama in his judgment yesterday held that there was a deliberate act by the Police to frustrate the case against the freed inmate by not bringing the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) and other witnesses to corroborate their claims.

He said the evidence by the Bureau de Change owner, one Alhaji Shehu Ibrahim and another witness called by the Police could not stand as they amounted to hearsay evidence.

Ibrahim had told the court that three men with one carrying an AK-47 rifle had robbed him in his office and carted away huge sums of money in different currencies including $248,000.

The court said both Ibrahim and the second prosecution witness added that they were told by another person that the freed inmate, Dauda Umar was the one that gave information to the robbers.

Justice Baba-Yusuf said evidence had not been led to suggest that Umar was part of the robbers or that he was the informant apart from the hear-say evidence of the two witnesses which he said was not admissible.

The judge said the IPO was also not called to tender the extra-judicial statement allegedly made by Umar where he allegedly said he took part in the sharing of the money from the robbery.

He thereafter ordered that Umar be released from prisons after spending 10 years on awaiting trial list.