By Ihechi Enyinnaya
A High Court sitting in Enugu on Thursday discharged and acquitted the three Igbo youths who were arrested on the 23rd day of August 2020.
A statement by Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Lead Counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu/IPOB, said those acquitted include Paul Okafor, Ede Friday Emmanuel and Joseph Anayo.
He said the youths were arrested during the Emene massacre, and were consequently charged before the Enugu High Court in Charge No: E/40C/2021, for offences of murder which carries capital punishment.
Part of the statement read: “The trial was allowed on those frivolous but bogus charge. Witnesses were fielded by the prosecution who were all stereotyped on their line of evidence, but we patiently awaited for them to say “Amen”.
“Upon the conclusion of their purported evidence, we filed a “No Case” submission for these innocent civilian youth, urging His Lordship to discharge them on the ground that the entire evidence of the prosecution did not disclose the commission of any offence, talk more of the alleged offence of murder, and as such the watery evidence of the prosecution does not warrant them to enter into the witness box to establish their innocence.
“Consequently, we urged His Noble Lordship to discharge and acquit them because they have no case to answer.
“Today, while delivering Ruling on our “No case” submission which was totally upheld, the Learned Trial Judge found and held that the Prosecution failed to show that the Defendants had any case to answer in the alleged case of murder. Hence, they were consequently discharged and acquitted.”