An FCT High Court Nyanya on Monday fixed Dec. 2 for the adoption of final written addresses a case of alleged armed robbery and culpable homicide preferred against a businessman, Obinna Echianu and one other.
Justice Peter Kekemeke fixed the date after the defendants ‘ counsel informed the court that they had closed their case.
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Echianu, 42, a businessman was arraigned alongside one Everly Nnorom, 27, by the police on a five-count charge bordering on armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and culpable homicide.
The police alleged that on Dec. 25, 2016 at about 7p .m at Goss pedestrian bridge, Airport Road, Abuja that the two defendants conspired to rob one Edward Ali of Wuse 2, now deceased.
Police had told the court that said the duo armed with a revolver pistol and 33 live ammunitions shot and killed Ali and collected his Nissan Almera car and his phone.
They further alleged that Echianu was on March 21, 2017, found to be in possession of one Magnum Revolver pistol.
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The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the resumed hearing, Mr Chima Chukwudi, Echianu ‘s counsel tendered his client’s bank accounts documents through Ms Adenze Okoro, from Zenith bank and was tendered from the bar.
Echianu was later cross-examined by Mr D.F Abah the prosecuting counsel.
The second defendant gave his testimony and was also crossed.
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He told the court that he never committed the offence he was accused of and that the statement claimed by the police that he wrote was dictated to him by the police.
Nnorom further said that he had never met the 1st defendant before until both of them were brought for arraignment.
He added that he does not know who the deceased was too.
NAN reports that Echianu and Nnorom opened their defence after the court rejected their no-case submission application.
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Led in evidence by his counsel, the 1st defendant (Echianu ) had earlier told the court that he was an international businesses man.
He alleged that on Dec. 25, 2016, he was driving on the road when police patrol team stopped him.
He told the court that he was searched and 7,000 U.S. dollars and N540,000 currency notes were found in his car pigeon hole.
“They asked me what I do for a living and I told them I am a businessman that I needed to travel.”
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The defendant told the court that the police collected his travel documents and took him to their station.
He told the court that the policemen checked his phone saw transaction alerts for N20 million in his Diamond and Zenith bank accounts.
“They asked me to negotiate with them and not to eat alone. But I told them that I am a businessman and I wanted to travel by Air France.
“They beat me up and asked me to give them my money. I told them my account in Diamond is a facility account but they continued beating me and asked me to co-operate.
“They drove me to my Zenith bank branch at Wuse market on March 13, 2017, handcuffed but on getting there, they removed the handcuffs to enable me withdraw N500,000 for them,” he alleged.
He further testified that on either March 16 or March 17, 2017, they again took him to Zenith bank at Wuse 2, opposite Glo office and withdrew N220, 000.
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The defendant told the court that the policemen kept calling him a fraudster and continued to persuade him to bring the money in his Diamond bank account for them in addition to his international passport, the 7,000 U.S dollars and N540, 000 cash in their custody.
He said the police officers allegedly forced him to sign a written statement after beating him to a pulp.
The witness further alleged that policemen took him to his resident in Aba, searched and collected his cheque books and later forced him to sign a statement that they recovered a gun and a car in his house.
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He alleged that they brought him back to Abuja after they forcefully made his mother to sign a written statement.
Echianu said he had never met the second defendant before.
His counsel then prayed the court to grant his application for an order of subpoena, ordering Zenith bank to produce his client’s statement of account in court.
