12 Persons accused of killing Police Inspector freed by Court, Prosecution to pay N1m each as compensation to defendants
12 Persons accused of Killing Police Inspector freed by Court, Prosecution to pay N1m each as compensation to defendants
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has discharged and acquitted twelve individuals accused of killing Police Inspector Christiana Erekere during a stop-and-search operation earlier this year.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Augusta Kingsley-Chukwu held that the prosecution failed to establish a solid case linking the defendants to the alleged crime.
The judge ruled that the evidence presented did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the twelve suspects conspired to murder the officer.
Justice Kingsley-Chukwu pointed out inconsistencies in the testimonies of prosecution witnesses and noted that the evidence lacked any direct connection to the accused persons.
Citing the autopsy report, the court observed that Inspector Erekere’s death might have been caused by medical complications such as asthma and suffocation rather than by an external assault.
Consequently, the court ordered the prosecution to pay ₦1 million each to the twelve defendants as compensation.
Inspector Erekere was allegedly killed on April 24, 2024, at the Taaba Police Division in Khana Local Government Area during a stop-and-search operation. The accused, who were reportedly traveling from Delta State to Akwa Ibom for a traditional marriage ceremony, were subsequently arrested and charged with her murder.
Following the verdict, the late officer’s brother, Nkue Bariledum, and her daughter, Fortune Erekere, expressed disappointment over the court’s decision, describing it as a miscarriage of justice.
