Court frees church leader over armed robbery--Mr. Sam Keddy Balogun

A Lokoja Chief Magistrates’
Court has discharged a church
leader, Mr. Sam Keddy Balogun
over charges of conspiracy and
robbery levelled against
him. Balogun, who is also the
Commandant General of
Mission for Africa Chaplain
Corps was last June paraded by
the police along with his
orderly, Saliu Mohammed, by
the police for alleged
conspiracy, theft, robbery and
for illegally being in possession
of firearms.

When the case came up for
hearing yesterday at the Chief
Magistrates’ Court, the trial
magistrate, Mrs. Joyce
Abdulmalik said she received a
letter from the office of the
Director of Public Prosecution
signed by one Emmanuel Ibinu,
a principal legal officer, who
said there was no case against
Sam Keddy Balogun and
therefore, advised the court to
set him (the accused person)
free.

The magistrate, while making
her ruling said she relied on the
letter and therefore discharged
Sam Keddy Balogun of the
offences levelled against him.

As for his orderly, she expunged
the allegations of robbery,
conspiracy and illegally being in
possession of firearms against
him and only charged him for
theft and therefore advised the
police prosecution to modify
his charge sheet in the next
appearance.