The Upper Area Court Number Two, sitting in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, has discharged one Ahijo Sulaiman due to the prosecution’s lack of diligence.
Presiding over the case, Justice Abubakar Kasim Aliyara, said the court observed repeated delays and adjournments initiated by the prosecution.
The judge declared, “This case is struck out for want of diligent prosecution. Accordingly, the defendant is hereby discharged for lack of prosecution. I so hold.”
Sulaiman, who had been accused of criminal offences, was previously cleared after investigations by both the police and military found no evidence to support the allegations.
The ruling, as observed by The Guardian, marks the end of months of legal uncertainty for Sulaiman.
Expressing his relief and gratitude, Sulaiman commended the judiciary, describing it as “the last hope for the common man.”
He noted that the judgment would help restore his reputation and integrity in the eyes of the public.
Despite the ordeal, Sulaiman pledged to hold no grudges against anyone or society but warned that he would not hesitate to pursue legal action if his name is ridiculed or his reputation defamed in the future.