Professor David Ogbonna, a lecturer at Rivers State University, was cleared and dismissed by a magistrate court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in a case involving the alleged rape and sexual assault of a 20-year-old student at the same institution.
After being charged with rape in his office on the university campus by a female student, Professor Ogbonna was on trial.
Before the Rivers State Government expressed interest and took up the prosecution of the case, the Rivers State Police Command had initially brought charges against him.
Monday’s ruling by Chief Magistrate Poromon Menenen stated that the prosecution had not made a strong case against the lecturer.
According to Chief Magistrate Menenen, the student’s phone and the disc she claimed to have used to record Professor Ogbonna and her on the day of the alleged occurrence were never offered as exhibits during the course of the trial.
The Chief Magistrate further pointed out that no forensic testing of any type had been done on the student’s pants, which she said had semen stains after being allegedly assaulted.
The Chief Magistrate further alleged that the health professional who was purported to have examined the student medically was not called to testify by the prosecution.
Additionally, Menenen found that the prosecution team had not produced one Chidinma, who the victim said had abandoned her and the Professor in his office after they had both visited him.
While G.U. Amana, who represented the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, declined to speak with journalists, Professor Ogbonna’s attorney, Emma Okah, reportedly stated, “Clearly, I will tell you that I am not at all surprised that the judgement of this court came the way, the manner, and the direction it did because, to some extent, the law is a bit logical.
And we were aware from the start that the prosecution would never succeed without any proof supporting the elements of indecent sexual assault, and that the accused would always be released and found not guilty. And the court actually followed through on that.
“And perhaps taking a cue from the court, which stated something really significant that everyone should be aware of. The general public ought to be aware, in fact.
Our position is that our client has been innocent from the beginning to the present day and even tomorrow, he continued.
