A baffling scenario played out on Friday after a judge in Abuja set free a man accused of murder. The FCT High Court, Kubwa, discharged one Isah Abdulkadir, standing trial for alleged criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide, for lack of diligent prosecution.

The Judge, Justice Bello Kawu, who struck out the case, ruled that the prosecution had consistently failed to bring the suspect to court since his first arraignment in April 2016.

He noted that the prosecution had also not appeared in the court in respect of the matter, leading to four adjournments without notice to both the court and the defence counsel.

The judge said that he was left with no option than to strike out the case in accordance with relevant provisions of the law.

Earlier, the defence counsel, Mr O.C. Ibe, had urged the court to strike out the matter, since it appeared that the prosecuting counsel, Mr Dabo Yakuba, had abandoned the case.

Ibe said the suspect remained in detention without bail since his arrest in 2016, while the prosecuting counsel has consistently absented himself from court. He called it, travesty of justice.


source: http://ift.tt/2gi32BU
http://ift.tt/2gDMod8