According to the defendant, he had amorous relationship with the victim and they were in good terms until he demanded for the money he had given her to keep for him which she was unable to produce and it led to a fight in which he injured the victim with a knife. However, upon the arrest of the defendant occasioned by the victim’s son, it was alleged that the defendant had broken into the house of the victim, broke the door and went straight for her, beat and injured her with a knife and a hammer intending to kill her. He was arraigned at the Magistrate’s court on the 2nd day of September, 2015 and remanded in prison custody. Information was filed against him at the High court Agbani on the 21st day of January, 2016 on a charge of Attempted Murder. CAPIO interviewed him in 2017 in prison where he revealed that he has been attending court but has no legal representation due to his poor financial status. Then CAPIO provided Legal assistance to him. He took his plea on the 2nd day of July 2018. However, with the transfer of the presiding Judge, the matter started de novo and he took his plea again on the 25th day of September, 2018 where he pleaded not guilty to the charge and trial commenced. However, the prosecution failed to produce any witnesses so CAPIO applied for striking out based on the relevant sections of the Enugu State Administration of the Criminal Justice Law, 2019 and the matter was accordingly struck out; the defendant was discharged forthwith from prison custody on the 26th day of February 2019.
He and his family members who were present on the day of his discharge were filled with joy and expressed gratitude to CAPIO for her selfless intervention.
ACJL SUCCESS STORY
