The prosecution in the trial of Cynthia Osokogu’s alleged murderers, yesterday, presented before a Lagos High Court in Igbosere, a laptop containing naked pictures of the deceased.
Among the pictures presented, Cynthia’s body was seen cellotaped. In another one, her international passport was placed on her chest and another picture was a close-up shot of her private part.
The four defendants are Okwumo Nwabufo, 33; Olisaeloka Ezike, 23; Orji Osita, 33 and Ezike Nonso, 25.
Led-in-evidence by Lagos State Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye, the prosecution’s witness (PW2), Sgt. John Babalola, told the court that the said pictures were sent by the 1st defendant (Nwabufo) from his Blackberry phone to his laptop.
“After we discovered the picture, ACP Dan Okoro, the Area Commander, asked that additional statements be made based on picture. The statement was signed by the 1st defendant. When the 1st defendant was arrested, he confessed that he knew what he did and that everything was over. The 1st defendant sent the picture to his laptop through his Blackberry phone. The 1st defendant operated the Blackberry phone to show us (police) the chain used in tying the deceased. The owner of the phone is the 1st defendant,” Babalola said.
According to the PW2, on August 20, 2012, the 1st defendant was arrested and his statement was taken. Based on his confessional statement, PW2 told the court that he and his team followed the 1st defendant to his home in Festac and recovered the said laptop, phones and various network SIM cards.
Babalola added: “On that same date, the 1st defendant was asked to open the laptop, which he carried by himself to the Area Commander’s office, and he was asked to open the said laptop. I and one ASP Marian were there and we saw the picture of the deceased lying down and her international passport on her chest.”
Another prosecution’s witness (PW1), Insp. Joseph Edo, during cross-examination, maintained that from his investigation, he discovered that the 4th defendant (Nonso) received stolen phones from the 1st and 2nd defendants on three occasions.
“The 4th 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. He bought the phone for N30,000 and sold for N40,000. He also knows that his elder brother does not deal on phone. He confessed that he gave the locked phone to a phone repairer who flashed it for him,” Edo stated.
The witness informed the court that there was another investigation against the defendants, in two hotels (Chelsea Suit and Penny Hotel), where they were alleged to have carried out similar acts.
