A High Court sitting in Enugu state has discharged one of the siblings accused of killing an Enugu-based makeup artist, late Miss Ijeoma Nneke.
The siblings, Chiamaka Ifezue and Chukwuemeka Ifezue are standing trial for allegedly forcing the deceased (Nneke) to drink a poisonous substance that caused her death.
The trial judge, Justice K.I. Okpe while discharging Chukwuemeka, held that there was no evidence that he actually participated in the commission of the crime.
In a court document seen on Tuesday, Chukwuemeka Ifezue was discharged of the crime on July 28, 2022, following a case submission he filed through his counsel, Mr Chuma Oguejiofor.
At the resumed trial on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, the case could not go on as the defence counsel, Mr Chuma Oguejiofor, informed the court that he had filed an appeal against the continued trial of the case.
The Prosecution counsel, Mrs C. C. Chigbo, however, told the court that she had not been served the notice of the appeal.
Consequently, Justice Okpe adjourned the case till November 30, 2022, for the defence to open their case.
The court in the last two sittings had admitted into evidence police exhibits on the case of the alleged murder of the makeup artist.
Chigbo led the Prosecution Witness 7 (PW7), Sgt. Udeze Oguguo, a police officer, in evidence to tender the exhibits.
Oguguo, who was attached to the Independence Layout Police Division, Enugu, said that the exhibits were recovered at the scene of the alleged crime.
The exhibits included five pieces of 20 British pounds, an iPhone 7plus with MTN SIM card, another iPhone device and a blackberry phone.
Others are a broken 9Mobile SIM card, itel phone, another black phone (no brand name), MTN SIM pack, makeup tools belonging to the deceased.
Also tendered in evidence was the key of a Toyota Metrix Scan with registration number JJJ410BJ which was allegedly used to move the dead body of the deceased from the scene of the crime to where it was dumped.
The police officer said that the car which had been parked at the Police Anti-kidnap Formation was no longer in good condition to be moved to the court.
He also tendered hard copies of the WhatsApp messages and text messages (SMS) the deceased had with her fiancé and girlfriend respectively while at the scene of the crime.
Oguguo also tendered the non-confessional statements of Chiamaka made on November 18, 2020, November 19, 2020, and January 14, 2021, which were all admitted in evidence.
He also tendered the non-confessional statement of Chukwuemeka made on November 18, 2020.