UNILORIN student’s murder: Court dismisses suspects’ claim of forced statements
The accused persons are standing trial for alleged conspiracy, rape, murder and robbery of the 300-level student at the Tanke area, Ilorin, on June 2, 2021.
They are Abdulazeez Ismail, Ajala Oluwatimileyin (aka Jacklord), Oyeyemi Omogbolahan, Abdulkarim Shuaib (aka Easy), Kareem Rasheed (Rashworld), Abdullateef Abdulrahman, Daud Adebayo (aka Bashman) and Akande Oladoja.
The Justice Adebayo Yusuf-led court ruled that the statements attributed to the accused persons were obtained voluntarily and without oppression as claimed by them through their lawyers.
He therefore admitted them as evidence.
The judge said none of the defence witnesses could confirm the allegation that the statements were obtained through torture and oppression.
He noted that the defendants were informed of their rights to remain silent and to get an attorney and they replied that they did not have any.
Justice Yusuf said the contradictions in the prosecution witnesses’ testimonies as pointed out by the defence counsel were mere discrepancies and not severe enough to affect the admissibility of the statements.
He also submitted that there was no law on the endorsement of the statements, hence the failure to endorse the statements by a superior officer did not affect their admissibility.
The judge also said the claim that the defendants were beaten and tortured and their family members prevented from having access to them was an afterthought.
He said he was satisfied that the prosecution proved its case beyond doubt, establishing that the statements were obtained voluntarily and without oppression.
He, therefore, overruled the statements by the defence counsel and admitted all the confessional statements attributed to the defendants into evidence.
The case was adjourned till December 3, 2021 for continuation of hearing.
Copyright PUNCH.
Comments
Post a Comment