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Man Acquitted of Sexual Assault Charges Due to Insufficient Evidence
A Lagos court has discharged and acquitted a man accused of sexually assaulting his four-year-old daughter, citing insufficient evidence and failure by the prosecution to present vital witnesses or material evidence.
The case, which centered on allegations of sexual assault by penetration, was dismissed after the judge ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The medical evidence alone, though troubling, cannot identify the perpetrator,” the judge stated.
They emphasized that the absence of direct testimony from the alleged survivor created an evidential gap that could not be bridged by hearsay or circumstantial evidence.
The court noted the importance of the principle of presumption of innocence, ruling, “It is better to let nine guilty persons escape than to wrongfully convict one innocent person.”
The judge also highlighted troubling inconsistencies in the defendant’s testimony but maintained that the burden of proof lay with the prosecution.
The prosecution, represented by Mr. Babajide Boye, presented two witnesses: a medical doctor and a police officer. However, their testimony, combined with circumstantial evidence, was deemed insufficient to secure a conviction.
The alleged incident reportedly occurred in December 2017 in the Adore, Ajah area of Lagos State. Following the court’s ruling, the defendant was discharged and acquitted.
Nigerian news analyst, Mahmud Jega, has shared his opinion on the recent airstrike carried out by the United States in Nigeria, stating that Nigerians should not blame President Bola Tinubu for the incident.
Jega made this statement during a recent interview, where he said he does not believe many people will hold the Tinubu administration responsible, as Donald Trump had issued threats against Nigeria long before Tinubu’s administration.
“No, I don’t think many people will blame the Tinubu administration for what is happening now because President Donald Trump, when he first made the threats, it was clearly not in coordination with the Tinubu administration or the government of Nigeria,” Jega said.
It has been reported that the United States carried out an airstrike targeting ISIS in the northwest region of Nigeria. The order was reportedly given by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist elements in northwest Nigeria,” Trump said.
He added, “I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.”
The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially declared the holiday dates for the festive season.
Thursday, December 25 will be observed as Christmas Day, December 26 as Boxing Day, and Thursday, January 1 as New Year’s Day.
The declaration was made by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani. He also added that Nigerians should celebrate the holidays in faith and pray for the nation.
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