Okpara made the claim at the resumed trial of Onwuamadike on Thursday before an Ikeja High Court.
Mr Victor
Okpara, counsel to alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (alias
Evans), on Thursday said that the police hastily paraded the suspect without
obtaining a statement from him.
In the
Obianodo case, Onwuamadike is being tried alongside Joseph Emeka, Chiemeka
Arinze and Udeme Upong.
Cross-examining
the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) Insp. Idowu Haruna, in the
trial-within-trial of Onwuamadike and his co-defendants for the attempted
kidnap of Obianodo, Okpara noted that he was arrested on June 10, 2017.
“He was
paraded the next day as a kidnapper without first giving a formal police
statement.
“His capture
was celebrated nationwide, he was paraded on June 11, 2017, and you immediately
concluded that you had arrested a notorious kidnapper before his statement was
taken.
“The statement
of the defendant was recorded for the first time on July 1, 2017. His statement
was taken without his lawyer being present.
“I can also
confront you with photographs alleging serious beating of the first defendant
(Onwuamadike) while he was in your custody,” he said.
The
Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Idowu Haruna, in his response, admitted
that Onwuamadike’s statement was not taken immediately he was arrested at his
Magodo, Lagos, resident.
Haruna stated
that he wrote Onwuamadike’s statement and read it aloud to him.
The IPO noted
that the first defendant, in his statement, did not say that he would opt out
of having a lawyer present.
Haruna also
testified that he never heard of the legal options which could have been
available to him such as the Legal Aid Council and Justice of the Peace.
“You claim to
be a crack detective; in all the other cases, there were video recordings of
his alleged confessions.
“I put it to
you that there was a deliberate attempt not to video-record this interview,”
Okpara said.
While being
cross-examined by the prosecution counsel, Mr Yusuf Sule, Haruna shed more
light on why Onwuamadike’s statement was not immediately taken by the police
when he was apprehended.
“Immediately
the first defendant was arrested, he gave numerous information on other gang
members and his victims.
“It took us a
lot of time to be able to investigate and get information on this case.
“We had to
liaise with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Festac. That is where he
gave his statement,” Haruna said.
The
defendants face a seven-count charge of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to
commit kidnapping, attempt to kidnap and sales, and transfer of firearms.
According to
the prosecution, Onwuamadike and his three co-defendants committed the offences
on Aug. 27, 2013, on Third Ave., Festac, Town Lagos.
Onwuamadike
and his accomplices are alleged to have killed Mr. Chijioke Ngozi and attempted
to kill and kidnap Obianodo.
The
prosecution also alleged that in 2008, Upong sold and transferred two AK47
rifles and 70 rounds of live ammunition to Onwuamadike.
In the second
trial involving Onwuamadike and Victor Aduba, a dismissed member of the
Nigerian Army, Okpara also alleged that the police hastily concluded that
Onwuamadike collected a 420,000 dollars as ransom from Ahamonu based solely on
the allegation of the complainant.
“He wasn’t
arrested on June 28, 2014, on the day of the alleged incident but years later,
and prior to the victim (Ahamonu) giving his statement, you had not had any
contact with the victim.
“In Exhibit A
(the statement), the victim talked about assassins and not kidnappers. He said
they talked about killing him and not kidnapping him.
“The 420,000 dollars
were paid in three tranches by Ahamonu’s brother, Dominic ($200,000), Ahamonu’s
wife ($200,000) and one Onyebuchi ($20,000).
“Did you go
through bank records to ascertain whether money was withdrawn, and the source
of the alleged ransom?
“Did you also
trace the phone numbers used to negotiate the alleged ransom?
“Did you do a
fingerprint analysis of the guns recovered from their alleged hideout at
Igando?,” Okpara asked.
Responding,
Haruna testified that the allegation of $420,000 ransom being paid was based
solely on Ahamonu’s statement to the police.
He also said
that bank records were not traced during the investigation.
“We did not
do a fingerprint analysis of the guns recovered from their hideout at Igando.
“For security
reasons, I cannot reveal the numbers used to call during the incident.
“We did not
match those numbers with those used to call the defendant due to issues with
the service provider.
“The $420,000
ransom was paid in the dead of the night,” Haruna said.
While being
cross-examined by Aduba’s counsel, Mr. Emmanuel Ochai, Haruna explained the
role of the dismissed soldier in the kidnap of Ahamonu.
“The second
defendant (Aduba) did not negotiate ransom; he collected the ransom.
“After he was
arrested, he was first taken to an army barracks for disciplinary action.
“Four AK47
and AK49 rifles were used for the operation,” Haruna said.
NAN reports
that the duo faces a four-count charge of kidnapping and unlawful possession of
firearms.
They are accused
of kidnapping Mr Sylvanus Ahamonu on June 28, 2014, at Saka St., Amuwo-Odofin
in Lagos.
They
allegedly held him, hostage, for at least nine weeks and collected a ransom of
420,000 dollars from his family.
Both trials
were adjourned by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo until Sept. 17, for continuation.
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