Edo court acquits four workers of Nuero-Psychiatric Hospital

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

An Egor Magistrate Court 2 in Benin City, Edo State, on Thursday discharged and acquitted four staff of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, in Benin, charged for felony and other criminal allegations.

The four accused persons in the case with charge No. MEG/201c/14/A, Dr. O. C. Ikeji, Mrs. O.U. Morgan, Dr. Orhiakhi and Mr. O. Akerele, have been under suspension right from the day the matter was brought before the court.

The alleged crime was said to have been committed in 2014, when they were accused of stealing a file from one Ms. T. I. Agho, belonging to the Edo State Post Primary Education Board.

The presiding Magistrate, Mr. Williams I. Aziegbemhin, who threw out the protracted case that lingered for over three years, said that judgement was delayed, owing to copious deployment of a cornucopia of overt and covert delay tactics by the prosecution counsel.

He said the prosecuting counsel failed to prove his case, adding that the Investigating Police Officer, ASP Dumpe Donaka, agreed that he did not visit the scene of the crime, noting that he only visited the place but did not investigate.

The Magistrate therefore “threw the case out and acquitted” the four accused and warned that all parties should abide by the judgment or face penalties.

Responding to their acquittal in a statement issued and made available to journalists in Benin; they said: “We believe the judgment delivered today has gone a long way to restore our reputation in the eyes of the public.

“We hope and pray that this will be the last time the head of a government institution in Nigeria will abuse the apparatus of their office and the state by using them to intimidate their imaginary enemies.”

It would be recalled that the same court had in 2015, also struck out a case of felony of padlocking the main entrance to the hospital with a key and chain on November 12, 2014, preferred against a Consultant Psychiatrist with the Hospital, Dr. Ambrose Lawani, over the inability of the prosecutors to prove their case which was instituted in December 2014.