Justice Binta Murtala Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the electricity theft charges filed against property developer Mr Cecil Osakwe.
The decision followed the withdrawal of the case by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Delivering her ruling, Justice Nyako stated, “It is hereby ordered that, as requested by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the charge be struck out. The defendant is hereby discharged.”
The federal government initially accused Osakwe of tampering with electricity metres on one of his properties, with the case garnering public attention.
However, inconsistencies in the evidence presented by prosecution witnesses appeared to undermine the case.
At a previous hearing, the trial stalled due to discrepancies in the testimony of Mr John Suleiman, a key prosecution witness.
Suleiman claimed to have identified tampered metres but failed to provide corresponding documentation. Defence counsel Victor Giwa objected to the tendering of exhibits, arguing they were not properly attached to the witness statement as required.
Justice Nyako upheld the defence’s objection, ruling that Suleiman lacked the authority to present such evidence.
Consequently, the prosecutor, Mamman Alibaba, sought an adjournment to address the issue. Another witness, Mr Gabriel Ojo, a former Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) staff member, testified that his team investigated allegations of electricity theft on Osakwe’s property based on a whistleblower’s report.
However, Ojo admitted he could not recall key details, including the names of security guards interviewed during the investigation.
Following these developments, the Attorney-General’s office opted to withdraw the case, leading to Osakwe’s discharge.
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