The four persons are accused of negligence and they include the traditional ruler of Omuokiri, Alhaji Hassan Walewa, Okoghiro Endurance, Ozioma Abajua and Chigozie Evans.
Presiding judge, justice Letam Nyordee said he granted the bail considering the nature of their offence and also on health grounds as it concerned the traditional leader.
Justice Nyordee also made reference to section 118 of the Criminal Law of Rivers State 1998 that gives the court liberty to grant bail at its discretion.
He, therefore, granted them bail with the sum of N2 million, with the conditions that the accused persons must provide of 2 sureties that must own landed properties in Port Harcourt, must provide tax payment certificates for the past 2 years.
Ezeji, who belongs to the Rivers State CID presented the court with documents, photographs and video evidences of the crime.
Counsels to the 3rd and 7th accused persons, Emmanuel John and O.C Mbaba objected to the evidences, questioning their authenticity and relevance.
However, in the course of tendering the evidences, Solicitor General of Rivers State and the Chief Prosecutor, Rufus Godwins maintained that the materials submitted as evidence were relevant and admissible.
Dailypost reports that tears flowed freely as the video of the incident was showed in the court.
In the meantime, the court adjourned further ruling and hearing on the matter till October 31.
Aluu 4: Dog was used to torture victims – Policeman
PORT HARCOURT — A police officer, Mr. Raphael Ezechi, told a Rivers
State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, at the resumed hearing in the
killings of four University of Port Harcourt, UNIPORT, students in
October 2012 in Omuokiri, Aluu community, that a dog was used to torture
the students before they were set on fire.
Mr. Ezechi of the State Criminal Investigative Department and a Deputy Superintendent of Police, led in evidence by the Solicitor-General of Rivers, Mr. Rufus Godwins, narrated that “a team of policemen from Isiokpo Division was dispatched to the scene of the incident to rescue the students but due to the distance, the students were set ablaze before the arrival of the police.”
The witness, said he took photographs of the deceased and a dog, said
to have been used to torture the students, adding that information was
also gathered from the Internet which were recorded.
The defence counsel, however, objected to the prosecution’s move to tender the photo evidence as exhibits, contending that the police officer was not the maker of the said documents.
The defence argued that no proper foundation had been laid for the admissibility of the photographs, urging the court to reject same.
Responding, Mr. Godwins, the prosecution counsel said that the foundation was laid from records of proceedings by the court and urged the dismissal of the objection, which he described as misconceived by the defence.What do you think about this?
Mr. Ezechi of the State Criminal Investigative Department and a Deputy Superintendent of Police, led in evidence by the Solicitor-General of Rivers, Mr. Rufus Godwins, narrated that “a team of policemen from Isiokpo Division was dispatched to the scene of the incident to rescue the students but due to the distance, the students were set ablaze before the arrival of the police.”
Suspects in the murder of The UNIPORT FOUR at the Rivers State High Court,Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke
The defence counsel, however, objected to the prosecution’s move to tender the photo evidence as exhibits, contending that the police officer was not the maker of the said documents.
The defence argued that no proper foundation had been laid for the admissibility of the photographs, urging the court to reject same.
Responding, Mr. Godwins, the prosecution counsel said that the foundation was laid from records of proceedings by the court and urged the dismissal of the objection, which he described as misconceived by the defence.What do you think about this?
