A Lagos High Court presided over by Justice Muftau Olokooba, on Tuesday, discharged and acquitted Major Hamzat Al-Mustapha, Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late military ruler, General Sani Abacha, alongside others standing trial over an alleged attempt to murder the publisher of the Guardian Newspapers, Chief Alex Ibru.

The judge, in his ruling on the 11-year-old suit, agreed with the accused that indeed they have no case to answer.

Those standing trial alongside Al-Mustapha included former Lagos State Police  Commissioner, James Danbaba; former Zamfara State Administrator, Lieutenant-Colonel Jubrin Bala Yakubu, and former Head of the Aso Rock Anti-Riot Police, Rabo Lawal.

Justice Olokooba further declared that the evidence on all the counts preferred against the accused was thoroughly worthless and that there was no evidence of conspiracy as alleged on the first count.

“I hold that no prima facie case has been established against the accused persons. I hereby acquit and discharge them,” Justice Olokooba said.

While arguing the no case application, counsel for the third accused person, U.C Ikegbuble, had declared that where an essential element had not been proved, his client had no case to answer.

According to Ikegbule, “in proving the allegation of attempted murder of Alex Ibru, the prosecution was not able to show that the defendant actually has the intention to kill the publisher of Guardian Newspapers.”

He urged the court to discountenance the testimony of prosecution witnesses who had at one time or the other contradicted themselves during cross examination.

Ikegbule also said, “none of the prosecution witnesses mentioned the name of the third accused person in their testimonies in court, linking him with alleged attempted murder of Alex Ibru.”