A Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt has discharged and acquitted a lecturer from the Rivers State University, Prof. David Ogbonna, who was facing trial for alleged sexual assault on a female student of the institution.
Prof. Ogbonna, the former Head of the Department of Microbiology at RSU, had been accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old female student in his office in June 2022.
After more than a year of legal proceedings, the Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt acquitted the accused, citing a lack of substantial proof and evidence against him. The Chief Magistrate, Poromon Menenen, emphasized that the prosecution team failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Magistrate noted that critical pieces of evidence were missing in the case, including the phone used for recording the alleged incident, the Compact Disc containing the recording, and the forensic examination of the claimed stained underwear. Additionally, the Health Worker who conducted a medical examination on the female student was not called to testify in court.
The Magistrate concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support the charge of unlawful assault against Prof. Ogbonna, leading to his discharge and acquittal.
Following the court’s decision, the State prosecuting counsel declined to comment, while one of Prof. Ogbonna’s defense counsel expressed confidence in his client’s innocence from the beginning and moving forward.
