A professor from Rivers State University, Prof. David Ogbonna, has been discharged and acquitted of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old female student from his department after a lengthy legal battle.

Prof. Ogbonna, former Head of the Department of Microbiology, RSU, was arrested in June last year for raping one of his female students.

He was later granted a two million naira (N2,000,000) bail and other strict bail conditions.

After a one-year court battle, the court found the prosecution’s evidence inconsistent and weak, and no forensic examination was conducted on the alleged victim’s underwear.

The prosecution also failed to provide a crucial witness in the case.

The Chief Magistrate, Poromon Menenen, who presided over the case, declared the accused not guilty and discharged him.

One of the defence counsels for Prof. Ogbonna, Emma Okah, expressed relief that justice had been done for his client, stating that they knew from the start that there was no evidence against him.

“I am happy that Prof. Ogbonna has been declared innocent. He has been innocent from the beginning and will continue to be innocent,” Okah said.

The State prosecuting counsel, G.U. Amana, representing Rivers State Ministry of justice, declined to speak to reporters after the court decision.