Cynthia: 4 murder suspects docked

Posted by admin Headlines Monday, August 27th, 2012

By FAITH OMORUYI

It was a tense moment yesterday when alleged killers of 25-year-old Cynthia Udoka Osokogu were arraigned in a Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Yaba. The duo that allegedly killed her were arraigned along with two pharmacists who sold the drug they allegedly used to murder the victim.

The defendants include Okwumo Echezona Nwabufo (33), Ejike Ilechukwu Olisaeloka (23), Orji Osita (32) and Maduakor Chukwunonso (25). According to the eight-count charge preferred against them, they allegedly conspired with others now at large to drug, rape, rob and kill the deceased. During the proceedings yesterday, the prosecution counsel and Superintendent of Police, Chukwu Agwu urged the court to remand the defendants in prison pending their trial.

Consequently, the trial chief magistrate, Magistrate O.S Aka Bashorun ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison custody while awaiting the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)’s advice on their case after the eight-count charge brought against them by the police was read to them. But their plea was not taken. The court only asked if they understood the charge and the English language in which it was read to them. They affirmed to the court that they did.

The matter has been adjourned till October 3, 2012. In the charge with suit number TA/52/2012 preferred against them by the prosecution, the defendants allegedly unlawfully injected an obnoxious substance known as Rohypnol Flunitrazepam tablets into a Ribena fruit juice drink and forcefully administered it to Cynthia, thereby causing bodily harm to the deceased.

The drug was alleged to have been purchased at Oxpharm Pharmacy, 32 Road, Festac Town, Lagos, The defendants were alleged to have, between 8p.m. of July 21, 2012 and 12p.m. of July 22, 2012 at room C1, Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Festac Town, Lagos conspired to murder the deceased after unlawfully drugging her, binding her hands with chain, padlock and bindng her legs, neck and mouth with cello-tape, giving her fist blows all over her body, giving her several human bites, torturing and strangling her to death. They were also alleged to have conspired to commit armed robbery and robbing Cynthia of her personal belongings.

The items include one Bold Five model of Blackberry handset, international passport marked: A012493997 dated July 3, 2009; pairs of shoes, hand bag, artificial sex toy vibrator, jewelry pack containing three wristwatches, four rings, three pairs of earrings, one pendant, one necklace, hand chain (bangle) and a single earring. The police also accused them of raping their alleged victim. The alleged offences are punishable under Sections 221, 231, 237, 241, 258, 295 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011. However, only the fourth defendant’s lawyer, I. D Ekpo was present.

The other defendants had no legal representation in court yesterday. Before and after the court proceedings, Nwabufo and Olisaeloka who were each wearing a dirty orange and cream shirts respectively, either tried to cover their faces with their hands or bowed their heads to avoid their photographs being taken by journalists and members of the public who jostled to take their photographs. A crowd filled the court yesterday and some of them cursed the suspects. Even when they were taken to the court’s holding cell before they were be taken to Ikoyi Prisons, the defendants still covered their faces or bowed their heads.

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