Magistrate Celestine Odoh of an Abuja Magistrate Court on Monday gave nod to the Nigeria Police to prosecute a female lawyer with the National Copyright Commission (NCC), Miss Adaorah Ndigwe over allegation of attempted murder.

A police first information report had alleged that Ndigwe had attempted murder to Miss Madge Jime, whom she allegedly wilfully ran over with her car with the intention of causing her death.

When the matter came up before Magistrate Celestine Odoh, the prosecutor, Barrister Fidelis Ogbobe told the court that the Commissioner of Police had filed a – four-count charge bordering on culpable homicide against Barrister Adaorah Ndigwe at the High Court and intended to begin prosecution there.

Accordingly, Barrister Ogbobe applied to the court to withdraw the First Information Report (FIR) against Ndigwe to avoid abuse of the court process.

Barrister Emmanuel Oka, counsel to the accused did not object to the prosecution’s application to withdraw the FIR against Adaorah.

In his ruling, Magistrate Odoh consented to the withdrawal of the FIR “in order to enable the prosecution to face the trial of the accused person at the High Court.

In the said four-count charge, Ndigwe was also accused of trying to destroy her confessional statement, wherein she admitted to hitting Miss Jime with her car.

According to the Police Chief, the lawyer “cancelled, squeezed and disposed of” her confessional statement to prevent the police from producing it as evidence in the court of law against her.

The lawyer had taken laws into her hands on the 27th day of February 2019 when she physically assaulted Miss Jime for playing music in her car too loudly and disturbing others in the estate, where they both lived in Kubwa, Abuja.

Not satisfied, Ndigwe entered her Toyota Matrix car and ran Jime over, inflicting grievous bodily harm, which led to the loss of two teeth and multiple fractures on her legs.

In line with the requirement of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act [ACJA], the police attached list of eight exhibits, which includes the written statements of the defendant, statements of the witnesses, Bill Statement for Miss Jime from Cedarcrest Hospitals Limited, Abuja, Medical Report of Miss Jime from Cedarcrest Hospitals Limited dated 11th March, 2019.

Others include Clinical Details of Miss Jime from Cedarcrest Hospitals Limited dated 18th June 2019, photographs of Miss Jime showing direct degrees of injury with an affidavit of compliance, updated Medical Report from Cedarcrest Hospital Limited and mutilated statement of the defendant dated 1st March 2019. (Independent)

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