From: TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has discharged and acquitted the traditional ruler of Aluu community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state, Alhaji Hassan Welewa, and four others in a murder case.

Alhaji Welewa and 11 others have been standing trial since December 2012, following the murder of four undergraduates of University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Ugonna Obuzor, Toku Lloyd, Tekena Elkannah and Chiadika Biringa, on Friday, October 5, 2012.

The undergraduates were gruesomely murdered by youths in Omuokiri, Aluu community.

Following the report of the Director of Public Prosecutions of January 25, 2013, Alhaji Welewa, Okoghiroh Endurance, Ozioma Abajuo and Chigozie Evans Samuel, were granted bail because they had no prima facie case of murder against them.

Seven other accused persons – Lawal Segun,  Ex-Sergeant Lucky Orji,  Ikechukwu Louis Amadi (aka Kapoon), David Chinasa Ogbada,  Abiodun Yusuf, Joshua Ekpe and Cyril Abang,  were not granted bail.

The trial judge, Justice Letam Nyordee, while delivering the judgement, discharged and acquitted Segun, Endurance, Abajuo Samuel and the traditional ruler.

Justice Nyordee freed the accused persons after the Director of Public Prosecutions filed a submission of no case on the five persons to the court, saying they had no case to answer in the matter.

He ruled that no prima-facie case was established against the five persons and set them free.

Meanwhile, the remaining seven accused persons are still facing trial and the matter has been adjourned till February 9, 2017, for continuation.

However, Alhaji Welewa, has described the court ruling as an act of God.

Welewa stated that the judgement was geniune, pointing out that he never had hands in the murder of the four students. He slammed his kinsmen for their conducts during his trial, noting that they intended to dethrone him.