The Lagos High Court Sitting in Igbosere, Lagos Island, on Monday showed some obscene pictures of the late Cynthia Osokogu.
The Attorney General of Lagos, Mr Ade Ipaye, who is prosecuting the suspected murderers of the late Cynthia, showed the court the pictures from a laptop.
One of the pictures presented showed the late Cynthia cello-taped on the mouth with her international passport placed on her chest and another was a close-up shot of her private part.
Four men, Okwumo Nwabufo, 34; Olisaeloka Ezike, 24; Orji Osita, 33; and Ezike Nonso, 25, are standing trial for conspiracy and the murder of the late Cynthia Osokogu, a 25-year old postgraduate student from the Nassarawa State University.
A prosecution’s witness, Mr John Babalola, while testifying, told the court that the pictures were sent by the first defendant’s (Nwabufo) from his Blackberry phone to his laptop.
“After we discovered the picture, ACP Dan Okoro, the Area Commander, asked that additional statements should be made, based on the pictures. The statement was signed by the first defendant.
“When the first defendant was arrested, he confessed that he knew what he did and that everything was over.
“The first defendant then operated the Blackberry phone to show us (police) the chain used in tying the deceased,”Babalola said.
According to Babalola, the first defendant was arrested on August 20, 2012, after which he made the confessional statement.
The witness added that he and his team followed the first defendant to his home in Festac and recovered the said laptop, along with some phones and various network SIM cards.
“On that same date, the first defendant was asked to open the laptop, which he carried by himself to the Area Commander’s office, I and one ASP Marian were there and we saw the picture of the deceased lying down and her international passport lying on her chest,” the witness said
Another prosecution’s witness Mr. Joseph Edo, testified that from his investigation, it was discovered that the fourth defendant (Nonso) received different stolen phones from the first and second defendant on three occasions.
“The fourth defendant took me to Ladipo market where he stole somebody’s receipt which he used in selling the deceased’s phone to somebody in Port Harcourt and the person was arrested.
The witness also told the court of another investigation against the defendants, in two separate hotels-Chelsea Suit and Penny Hotel-Festac, where they were alleged to have carried out similar acts.
Mr Edo explained that he separated the cases because the incidents did not happen on the same day, saying “it was based on the confessional statement by the first and second defendant that they carried out similar acts in other hotels in Festac.”
The trial judge, Justice Olabisi Akinlade, however, adjourned till June 27 and 30 for continuation of trial after the prosecution said that it would need some time to operate the first defendant’s phone to retrieve more evidence.
Administering Rohypnol Flunitrazepan
In the charges, the late Cynthia Osokogu was allegedly murdered by the Ist & 2nd defendants, Nwabufo and Ezike at Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Amuwo Odofin, area of Festac Town, Lagos.
The Lagos State Attorney-General had claimed that the late Cynthia met the duo through Facebook, a social networking site and was lured by them to Lagos where she was killed.
Mr Ipaye also alleged that the suspects murdered her by administering Rohypnol Flunitrazepan tablet into her drink, chaining her hands and legs and strangling her to death.
They were also alleged to have stolen three blackberry phones valued at 150,000 Naira, Jewelries, an international passport, and a drivers’ licence, belonging to the deceased.
The third defendant, Orji Osita, a pharmacist, was charged with negligently selling the Rohypnol Flunitrazepan tablets to Ezike, the 2nd defendant, without a doctor’s prescription and without showing due care.
The fourth defendant, Nonso Ezike who is a younger brother to the 2nd defendant was charged with being in possession of the three blackberry mobile phones belonging to the late Cynthia Osokogu.
The third and fourth defendants are however on bail while the first and second defendants are in prison custody.
