Court clears ASCSN President Bola-Audu, three others of human trafficking charges
The President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, Mr Innocent Bola-Audu, has been cleared of human trafficking charges.
Three others who were charged alongside him were on Tuesday cleared by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama.
The presiding Judge, Justice Charles Agbaza, said the prosecutor failed to link the defendants with the human trafficking offence. Hence, they were all discharged and acquitted.
The four civil servants were some time ago in 2021 nabbed and arraigned in court by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) but pleaded not guilty on July 7 and were granted bail.
After arguments and counter arguments by the prosecution and defence counsels, even as a no-case submission was filed by the defence counsel, Justice Agbaza ruled that the prosecutor failed to link the offence with the defendants.
The Judge held: “The prosecution has not clearly been able to link the defendants with the charge brought against them. I find it difficult to come to terms with the prosecution on the charges and in his argument against the defendants.
“There is no evidence before this court linking the defendants with the offence. The prosecution failed to establish a case of human trafficking against the defendants.”
Those charged are the Chief Accountant on Grade Level 14, Innocent Bola-Audu, and an Assistant Executive Officer on Grade Level 13, Cecilia Aneke.
