by Chinwe Okafor

34-year-old Paul Ogbeh, was yesterday discharged and acquitted by a Lagos High Court sitting over a murder charge.

The former police constable was said to have murdered men alleged to be armed robbers, while on police patrol after receiving a distress call.

He was discharged by Justice Olabisi Akinlade after she found him not guilty of the two counts of first degree murder on the basis of lack of sufficient evidence by the prosecution.

Akinlade said: “The defendant was performing his lawful duty on the day of the incident. The prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

“The prosecution did not tender any post-mortem or medical report in the death of the deceased, no ballistics report was tendered by the prosecution and there was also failure by the prosecution to produce eyewitnesses.

“All these lapses in the prosecution’s case have created doubt in the eyes of the court. The prosecution has failed to create any direct or circumstantial evidence linking the defendant  to the death of the two deceased.

“The defendant is, hereby, discharged and acquitted of the two-count charge of murder against him.”

Immediately, Ogbeh made the sign of the cross, raised his hands in praises to God and thanked the judge before leaving the dock, wiping tears from his eyes saying, “I feel happy because I held onto my God since day one of my incarceration because the murders happened while I was performing my lawful duties.

“While I was in prison, I enrolled with the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, to study Criminology and Security Studies and I intend to complete my education,” he added, tightly clutching a copy of The Prisoner’s Bible.

Ada Igboanugo