In a six count charge, the state alleged that two of the suspects, Okwumo and Ezike on or about 22 July, 2012 at Cosmilla Hotel, Amuwo-Odofin, Festac Town, conspired to murder Cynthia Osokogu.
The state alleged that the suspects murdered Cynthia by administering Rohypnol Flunitrazepan tablet into her drink, chaining her hands and legs and strangled her to death.
The duo were also alleged to have stolen three blackberry phones valued at N150,000, Jewelries, an international passport and a drivers licence belonging to Cynthia after they strangled her to. death.
Orji Osita, the third suspect was charged for negligently selling the Rohypnol Flunitrazepan tablets to Ezike, the second defendant without a doctor’s prescription and without showing due care.
Ezike Nonso, the man who allegedly bought Cynthia’s stolen Blackberry Bold 5 was charged with being in possession of a stolen phone.
All the four suspects pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Immediately after their formal arraignment, the prosecution team led by the Lagos State Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye called its first witness, Mrs Ifeyinwa, Njegbu a receptionist in Cosmilla hotel where Cynthia was allegedly murdered.
She told the court that she was on duty on the night that Cynthia and the first defendant Okwumo lodged into the hotel as couple.
She said Okwumo later left the room where he and Cynthia were lodged and never returned.
Mrs Njekwu told the court that she later discovered the lifeless naked body of Cynthia in the hotel after she used the hotel’s master key to open her room.
She was still giving evidence as at the time of filing this report.
Previous attempts to formally arraign the suspects had been stalled twice.
The matter could not proceed at the last sitting as counsels to the defendants in the matter told the court that they were not properly served with the processes of the matter.
Counsel to the second and fourth defendants, Olu Kayode also told the court that the statements of his clients were not included in the amended charge.
The prosecution team led by the Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye admitted to the mix up in serving the processes to one of the defence counsel but promised to immediately sort out the issue.
The presiding judge, Justice Olabisi Akinlade subsequently adjourned the matter to today for trial.
The matter came up earlier in January but was similarly adjourned because one of the defendants, Osita was not in court
The late Cynthia is the only daughter of a Retd. Major Frank Osokogu. She was a post-graduate student and the owner of a popular fashion store in Nassarawa state, Nigeria.
She met with her killers on Facebook social media site.
Her killers confessed to the police that they lured her to Lagos from her base in Nassarawa State under the pretext that they are also into clothing business.
After receiving her at the Murtala Muhammed airport in Lagos, they took her to a hotel in Festac Town.
Eloka confessed to the police that they later put Rohyenol tablet in her Ribena drink and slept with her for about 12 hours.
After discovering that Cynthia did not have a lot of money on her as they earlier presumed, they raped her for 12 hours and later strangled her.
Following the arrest and subsequent parade of Cynthia’s Killers, three more ladies came forward, saying they were once victims of the alleged murderers.
The three women reportedly went to Festac Police Command to write a statement about how they were drugged, raped and robbed by the suspects now facing trial.(pm report)
No comments:
Post a Comment