A 32-year-old man, Bolarinwa Ishola,
who was arrested five years ago and charged to court on allegation of armed
robbery, has regained freedom following acquittal and discharge by a Lagos High
Court, Ikeja. The trial judge, Habeeb Abiru,
discharged the suspect for what he termed, “lack of diligent prosecution by the
prosecutor”.
The office of the Lagos State Director
of Public Prosecution had charged Ishola to court on a two-count charge of
armed robbery in May, 2011.
The suspect, according to the charge,
was alleged to have robbed a house at Ketu in April 2008. The offence was said
to have been committed with others said to be at large.
During the trial of the suspect on
April 29, 2012, a prosecution witness and the landlord of the house alleged to
have been robbed denied knowledge of the incident.
At the resumed trial, the DPP, Mrs.
P.C. Alu, asked for an adjournment to enable them produce their witness in
court.
But the defence’s counsel, Mr. Adigun
Orunmila, objected to the DPP’s request for adjournment on the ground that the
matter has gone through many adjournments without the prosecutor producing
other witnesses.
He, therefore, urged the court to
discharge the suspect saying, “If they are not ready to prosecute, why can’t
they just withdraw the case”.
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