NIGERIAN COURT RELEASES SUSPECTS CHARGED WITH ASSASINATION ATTEMPT ON THE LATE NAFDAC BOSS, DORA AKUNYILI

LATE DR. DORA AKUNLIYI

The six suspects who were charged with the attempted assassination of the onetime Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Dr. Dora Akunyili have been freed of their charges. The suspects had been all the while been remand while the trial lasted.

It would be recalled that Dr. Akunyili during her tenure as boss of NAFDAC took the fight against fake drugs to the alleged suppliers of such products and incurred their wrath as she ensured they did not find it easy to operate in the country. This was the mission of her leadership at the Agency and the fake drug cartel went after her, there was attempt on her life when she was shot at while traveling in a car.

The police began an investigation into the matter and the suspects were arrested for the attempt on her life and put on trial. 

The trial did not make much progress before she left the office and subsequently fell sick with cancer and never recovered from the ailment. She eventually passed away.

In discharging the accused, Justice I. U. Bello, the presiding judge said the prosecution had not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused persons were at the scene of the crime and that they committed the offense. He went on to acquit the suspects.