Twelve accused who were on trial for the alleged murder of Christiana Erekere, a female police inspector, were released and found not guilty by a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt on Monday.
The trial judge, Justice Augusta Kingsley-Chukwu, found that the prosecution had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the twelve suspects had conspired to kill the late Inspector Erekere. The case started on June 18, 2024.
Justice Kingsley-Chukwu pointed out that the evidence offered had no direct connection to the suspects and that the prosecution witnesses’ testimony was inconsistent.
The court cited the autopsy report as evidence that the deceased might have died from a variety of causes, including suffocation and asthma.
Additionally, the court mandated that the prosecution compensate each of the twelve defendants with one million naira.
Remember that the now-acquitted suspects, who were traveling from Delta State to Akwa Ibom for a traditional marriage ritual, are accused of killing Inspector Erekere on April 24, 2024, during a stop-and-search operation at the Taaba Police Division in Khana Local Government Area.
In response to the ruling, Nkue Bariledum, the late Inspector Erekere’s elder brother, and Fortune Erekere, her daughter, voiced their disapproval.
