A court in Ogun State has dismissed the rape case filed against Stephen Ukenna, a former lecturer at Covenant University in Ota.

The ruling was given by Justice A. A. Shobayo on June 5, 2024, after the Director of Public Prosecution in the state made an official request to withdraw the case.

The case, which had the charge number HCT/78C/2021, was struck out after the prosecuting lawyer, O. Osunsami, informed the court that repeated attempts to bring witnesses to testify were unsuccessful.

The defense lawyer, A. Mbuko, who appeared for R. Akinola, did not object to the request to drop the case.

Justice Shobayo then ruled that the matter be struck out and declared that the defendant was discharged but not acquitted.

Stephen Ukenna was arrested in March 2021 by the Ogun State Police Command over allegations of raping a 17-year-old female student. He was working as a lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the time.

The arrest followed a report by the student’s parents, who said their daughter accused Ukenna of luring her to his office under the guise of planning a surprise birthday party. Once there, she claimed he locked the door and raped her on his office table.

Based on the complaint, the Area Commander in Ota at the time, Muyideen Obe, ordered his arrest, and the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, instructed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for proper investigation.

With the case now dismissed and the lecturer discharged but not acquitted, legal experts have explained that the matter could be reopened if new evidence or witnesses become available in the future.