Court discharges man charged with robbery

An FCT High Court in Apo has discharged a man charged with armed robbery. The man, Abdullahi Usman, was alleged in a three-count charge to have alongside others at large, broke into the house of one Fredrick Alaiyegbami on March 24, 2017 and stole a Toyota Camry car, a plasma TV, three laptops, seven phones, […]

An FCT High Court in Apo has discharged a man charged with armed robbery.

The man, Abdullahi Usman, was alleged in a three-count charge to have alongside others at large, broke into the house of one Fredrick Alaiyegbami on March 24, 2017 and stole a Toyota Camry car, a plasma TV, three laptops, seven phones, wrist watches, jewelry and N100,000 cash.

Upon his arraignment on March 14, 2018, Usman pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecution counsel, Patrick Ogele, had subsequently called three witnesses to prove the armed robbery case against Usman.

One of the prosecution witnesses, Cpl. Jonah Joseph told the court that Usman was arrested after one Nokia phone belonging to Alaiyegbami was traced to him. He further informed the court that during interrogation, Usman confessed that he and some of his friends committed the robbery.

The police officer told the court that after confessing, Usman signed the confessional statement prepared by him without coercion.

However, upon conclusion of the prosecution’s case, Usman’s counsel, Chinedu Udora, challenged the testimony and evidences given by the witnesses in a no-case submission.

Udora argued that the reported scene of crime is different from what is written on the confessional statement signed by the defendant .

He also argued that there was no direct eye witness linking the defendant to the alleged offences.

He said based on these facts, the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against his client and as such urged the court to discharge his client.

Ruling in the no-case submission, the trial judge, Justice Sylvanus Oriji, held that the prosecution failed to adequately link the defendant to the robbery.

Oriji also held that the prosecution’s failure to call Alaiyegbami or any of his family members, who were the victims of the robbery, as witness was fatal to the case.

“In light of the prosecution’s failure to reasonably establish a link between the defendant and the crime, I hereby uphold the no case submission of the defendant.

“The defendant, Abdullahi Usman, is hereby discharged”, the judge held.