By Felix Kuyinu
A commercial tricyclist has been granted freedom in a case of armed robbery after being on awaiting trial for four years.
Justice Serifat Sonaike, at the Tafawa Balewa High Court in Ikeja, Lagos, acquitted the alleged robber, Onyema Uduma, who was charged on a single count of armed robbery.
Justice Sonaike disclosed that the failure of the prosecution to produce a witness in the matter for four years proves the defendant deserved to earn freedom.
Onyema, 31 years, an indigene of Enugu state, was arrested and remanded at the Medium Correctional Centre, Kirikiri Lagos in 2019.
His counsel, Grace Adenubi, of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LAC) said information against the defendant was filed at the High Court in 2020 in Charge No. LD/12886c/20 and he was arraigned in early 2023.
Adenubi said prior to his arraignment, Justice Sonaike, seeing that he is an indigent referred the case to the Legal Aid Council.
According to the counsel, the case was adjourned several times at the instance of the State Prosecuting counsels who were not able to produce any witness hence trial couldn’t go on.
Justice Sonaike struck out the case for want of diligent prosecution upon the application of the defence counsel, Grace Adenubi, and ordered the defendant released from custody.
