An Abuja High Court on Friday discharged and acquitted the four persons accused of murdering Chief Harry Marshal, a former ANPP chieftain.
The accused, Sunday Ofuoku, Musa Babatunde, Stephen Imodumeh and Friday Amaize have been standing trial since March 2003 over the alleged murder of Marshal.
The Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello, while delivering judgment, said that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubts that the accused were those, who killed Marshal.
Bello added This means that the proposition being presented by the prosecution must be proven to the extent that there is no reasonable doubt in the mind of a reasonable person that the defendants are guilty.’’
He said that the prosecution had also not been able to prove that the accused persons were armed robbers.
The judge said that the prosecution counsel failed to present one Fidelis Aneigbe, who it said named the accused persons as being those who killed Chief Marshal at his residence in Garki District, Abuja.
He also said that from the evidence before him, none of the accused persons was arrested at the scene of crime.
Bello said that the defence counsel had been able to prove that the four accused persons made ``confessional statements admitting to killing Chief Marshal under duress.
He said Defence has been able to prove that his clients were threatened and tortured to make such confessional statements.
After delivering his judgment, Bello advised the four acquitted and discharged persons to live a respectful life and stay away from bad companies.
He also advised them to forgive and forget those, who put them through such an ordeal.
Also speaking to newsmen after the judgment, the Defence Counsel, Anthony Agbolahan, described today as his happiest day.
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