A chief magistrate court in Abuja has terminated the criminal suit filed against Umo Eno, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom state, TheCable has reported.

At the court session on Friday, Emmanuel Iyanna, the presiding chief magistrate, said following an affidavit of urgency filed by the defendant(Eno) on Monday, and which was granted on Tuesday, “the matter is hereby terminated”.

Iyanna issued an arrest warrant on December 23 after convicting the governorship candidate on charges bordering on “cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property”.

The complainant in the suit marked CR/94/2022 is one Edet Godwin Etim.

Although Eno’s campaign organisation denied knowledge of the suit, it later filed an application seeking to vacate the order on the grounds of not being served the hearing notice.

During the hearing, the warrant of arrest was vacated.

The chief magistrate also set aside the entire proceedings and judgment.

Eno, through his legal team led by Samuel Ikpo, had sent a petition against the chief magistrate over the “issuance of irregular and illegal warrant of arrest”.

A letter dated January 10 and signed by Oluseyi Amose on behalf of the chief judge notified the chief magistrate of the petition against him.

The letter stated that the petitioners have “called for disciplinary action to be taken” against the magistrate.

At the resumed hearing on Friday, Saatsaha Yenge, a lawyer, announced legal representation for the complainant.

However, the defendant was not represented in court.