Madonna varsity withdraws charges against students, lecturer

The Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State, has withdrawn criminal defamation charges against six of its students and a lecturer.

The students and their lecturer, known as Madonna 7, had been standing trial for criminal defamation charges preferred against them by the university since February 2019.

The university had described their publication on the social media as inimical and defamatory to the institution.

As a consequence, they were arrested and dragged before a Federal High Court sitting in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

But at the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the prosecution announced that it had dropped all the charges against the defendants.

The announcement triggered jubilation amongst the defendants, parents and guardians.

The prosecution led by Chief Arthur Obi-Okafor (SAN), had asked for the suspension of all the charges against the students and the lecturer, who were all in court.

He asked for two weeks adjournment to enable the prosecution to perfect documents relating to the withdrawal of the case.

The presiding judge, Justice Babatunde Quadri, granted the application and adjourned the matter to March 27, 2020.

Reacting to the judgment, the defence counsel, Mr Christopher Igwe, said the matter should have ended on Wednesday but for the signing of the relevant documents.

He added, “The information at our disposal is that by the time we come back on the adjourned date, the Attorney General of the Federation and others would have signed the necessary documents setting the defendants free.”

A parent of one of the defendants, Chief Christopher Onyejekwe, said he was happy that the students’ ordeal was gradually coming to an end, noting that the boys had suffered so much that what they needed most was kindness from the authorities of the university.

He suggested that while waiting for the final lap of the court processes, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria should prevail on the proprietor of the university, Rev Father Emmanuel Ede, to set the students free unconditionally to enable them to pursue their careers.