OKOYE & ORS v. NWANKWO (2014) LPELR-23172 (SC) wherein Per Peter-Odili, JSC opined thus: “Burden of proof is two-fold. The first is the ability of the Plaintiff to establish and prove the entire or reasonable portion of his case before a Court of law that can give judgment in his favour. This is always constantly on the Plaintiff. The other type is related to particular facts or issues which a party claims exist. It is this burden of proof that oscillates from one party to the other. While the first type of burden of proof is called legal burden of the burden of establishing a case, the second one is called evidential”.
BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON PROSECUTION TO ESTABLISH MURDER
It is however settled law that it is the duty of the prosecution to establish or prove the charge/case against an accused person. In other words, it is the prosecution that bears the burden of proving the guilt of the accused person. For the court to come to the conclusion that the prosecution has discharged the burden placed on it by law, it must be satisfied that the conclusion is beyond reasonable doubt as it is settled law that any doubt existing in such a case must be resolved in favour of the accused person. In other words, the standard of proof in criminal trials is that of prove beyond reasonable doubt.
— Onnoghen, JSC. Njoku v. The State (2012)