Justice Mohammed Madugu of an FCT High Court said the prosecution failed to prove how Njoku committed impersonation.
By Jeffrey Agbo
An FCT High Court has dismissed charges bordering on impersonation levelled against the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Edozie Njoku, by the Nigeria Police Force.
The police had on November 22, 2022 arraigned Njoku and the national youth leader of APGA, Chukwuemeka Nwoga, on a 14-count charge over purported allegation of impersonation and conspiring with others at large to alter a judgement of the Supreme Court delivered by Justice Mary Odili (retd).
However, ruling on Tuesday, Justice Mohammed Madugu dismissed all the 14 counts preferred against Njoku for lack of substantial documentary and oral evidence by the police lawyer, Ezekiel Rinasonte.
Justice Madugu said the prosecution failed to prove how Njoku committed impersonation.
“I find the 1st defendant, Chief Edozie Njoku and the 2nd defendant, Chukwuma Nwoga, not guilty as charged, and therefore they have been discharged and acquitted,” Justice Madugu ordered.
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In his judgement, Justice Madugu stated that “it’s crystal clear, that internal disputes in APGA had played a significant role in causing complexity of the case.”
In the first count, the court noted that being an allegation of criminal conspiracy, it must be proven by the prosecution with circumstantial evidence.
The court held that the prosecution witness did not produce any evidence linking the defendants with an agreement or conspiracy to commit the alleged offence.
“In accordance with section 178 of the penal code, the prosecution did not establish any dishonest intent from the letter Chief Njoku wrote to Justice Mary Peter Odili, retired,” the judge said.