Court discharges, acquits journalist, Agba Jalingo

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3 years ago

A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, and presided by Justice Ojukwu, on Monday, March 21, 2022, declared Agba Jalingo, publisher of CrossRiverWatch discharged and acquitted of all charges of treason preferred against him.

The journalist, Agba Jalingo, has been standing trial for alleged treason and several other charges, filed against him by the Cross River State Government.

Jalingo, who was arrested on August 22, 2019, and spent 34 days in detention finally had his fate sealed upon resumption of the trial at the court on March 21, 2022, as Justice Ojukwu, while relying on the provisions of section 355 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, acquainted Jalingo, on all four charges and declared that “therefore, the charge is hereby dismissed”.

In respect to the request of the defence to refund, Justice Ojukwu granted the application for the refund; the court held that the sum of N700,000 and the interest should be paid to the journalist, and the case was finally brought to a close.

Earlier, the Director of Public Prosecution in Cross River State, John Ogban, told the court at the resumption of the hearing, that he received the directives of the Attorney General, Tanko Ashang, to discontinue the case.

Ogban, who was scolded by Justice Ojukwu at the last adjourned date, said they had filed a further amended charge before now, but made a verbal application for the withdrawal of the case.

Meanwhile, When asked if he was withdrawing totally and will no longer prosecute the charge, Ogban answered in the affirmative.

Counsel to the defence, led by Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, a SAN, however, did not object to the verbal application and commended the directive, of the Attorney General of the state.

“We commend the Honorable Attorney General of the State for taking this decision. We are happy that our harassment has ended”, Olumide-Fusika said.

The charges preferred against him were amended several times during the trial. He took four pleas within the duration of the trial, twice under Justice Amobeda, once under Justice Shuiabu and once under Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu.

It appears the persecution counsel could not provide any valid evidence to validate the charges filed against the defence, they therefore withdrew and ended the trial.

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