A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has discharged and acquitted twelve persons accused of murdering a female police officer, Inspector Christiana Erekere, after ruling that the prosecution failed to establish a credible case against them.
Justice Augusta Kingsley-Chukwu, who delivered the judgment on Monday, held that the prosecution could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants were responsible for the death of the late officer.
The judge stated that the evidence presented in court lacked clarity and consistency, describing the testimonies of witnesses as “contradictory and unreliable.”
According to the court, the medical report presented during the trial suggested that Inspector Erekere might not have died from physical assault but from other complications, including asthma and suffocation.
“The evidence before this court does not directly connect the accused persons to the death of the deceased,” Justice Kingsley-Chukwu ruled.
The judge further directed that the prosecution pay each of the twelve defendants the sum of N1 million as compensation for their unlawful detention and prosecution.
The case, which began on June 18, 2024, stemmed from an incident that occurred on April 24, 2024, at the Taaba Police Division in Khana Local Government Area.
The late Inspector Erekere was allegedly killed during a stop-and-search operation involving the accused, who were reportedly traveling from Delta State to Akwa Ibom for a traditional marriage ceremony.
Family members of the deceased expressed deep dissatisfaction with the court’s verdict.
Speaking shortly after the judgment, Erekere’s elder brother, Nkue Bariledum, described the ruling as a “painful miscarriage of justice.”
He said the family had hoped for accountability and closure after months of legal proceedings.
Her daughter, Fortune Erekere, also voiced disappointment, saying, “It feels like my mother’s life didn’t matter. We trusted the system to give us justice, but this decision has left us broken.”
The family has hinted at the possibility of appealing the verdict, urging relevant authorities to reopen investigations into the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death.
With the acquittal, the twelve defendants, who had spent months in detention, are now free, while the controversy surrounding Inspector Erekere’s death continues to stir emotional reactions across Rivers State.