A State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, struck out the case against 13 members of the Saint Matthew’s Church, Nkpogwu.
TPCN correspondent, Tina Stephen, reports that the church members were accused of diverting a total amount of N1bn belonging to the church.
The defendants had been arraigned on a 22 counts charge bordering on conspiracy, assault and embezzlement of funds belonging to the church.
They were arrested after a petition was written to the police by the leader of the Anglican Church, Niger Delta North Diocese, over the allegation.
The defendants joined in the matter include Oje Uduagele, Kingsley Onyekosor, Samuel Adeyemi, Merrygold Harcourt, Veronica Johnson, Adeniyi Emmanuel and Eric Obi.
Others are Victor Amachree, Kingdom Amadi, Sunny Ohimai, Uche Okechukwu, Samuel Umendi and Oyedele Ogundipe.
Counsel to the defendants, Chika Igbokwe, represented by Mr. Chris Kalio, urged the court to dismiss the matter because the complainant had failed to appear in court since the commencement of the case in 2017.
The trial judge, Justice Dappa Ado, accepted the prayers of the defendants and dismissed the case for want of a thorough prosecution.
