Justice Adolo, of Delta State High Court sitting at Ughelli in Ughelli North local government area has dismissed a case allege murder against an Ughelli-based PDP politician, Hon. Chief Gowon Egoide, who was accused of allegedly killing Mr. David Otega, on merit for lack of diligent prosecution.
The court had in a suit no: UHC/61c/2023, after more than three subsequent adjournments, the prosecution could not produce witnesses to give evidence had no option than to discharge the accused on merit for lack of diligent prosecution.
Reacting to the ruling shortly after he was discharged by the court, Hon. Chief Gowon Egoide stated that the matter started at the eve of the governorship election in March 2023, when the victim including some other persons were involved over a protest on land transactions, and was allegedly shot by yet unknown person.
According to him, “Few days to the March 18, 2923 governorship election, i was in the village campaigning for our party, the PDP when i learnt that some of my brothers were arrested by the Police and taken to the Area Police Command over the shooting of one David Otega in a bush where they were involved in a land transaction.
“When an identification parade was carried out at the Area Command, suspected relatives of the deceased could not identify anybody, and the Area Commander had to free my brothers and asked the victim to continue searching for the person that shot at him.”
Chief Egoide further stated that, dissatisfied by the way the Area Command handled the matter and in a bid to frame him up in the matter, some persons petitioned the Nigeria Police Zone 5, in Benin City, with an allegation that he sponsored the boy who shot the victim.
“I was equally and granted bail from Zone 5 by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the matter in Benin City after comparing the statements made at the Area Command and at Zone 5.
“But in spite of that, the State DPP in his report, however advised the matter be charged to court and i was arraigned to High Court I, Ughelli
“After more over three adjournments, no prosecution witness was able to come out to sign their witness deposition on oath and on the basis of that the Court discharged me on merit for lack of diligent prosecution by the State Counsel.
“Because the cases has been adjourned three times, my lawyer Barr. E. Ijewu sought for the striking out of the case for want of diligent prosecution. And so, the judge struck out the matter on merit.
“I am very happy about today’s victory. I was framed up by some persons in my community. They arrested some of my people and they took them to the Area Command of the Nigeria Police in March, last year.
“Today I’m free and I’m very happy because I’ve been vindicated”, he concluded.
