The prosecution in the ongoing trial of six men accused of complicity in a plot to topple the President Bola Tinubu-led administration has urged a Federal High Court in Abuja to admit in evidence the statements made to investigators by the accused persons.
The fourth witness for the prosecution, in the trial-within-trial being conducted to ascertain the voluntariness or otherwise of the statements, made the request while telling the court that the statements were voluntarily made by the defendants, who he said were not subjected to any form of torture or harassment.
The witness, identified as “DDD”, was led in evidence by the prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), during which he denied all the allegations by the defendants, including claims that they were tortured into making the statements in which five of them, except the first defendant, admitted knowing about the plot.
On the claim by the defendants that their feet were chained, the witness said: “It is not true. The feet of the defendants were not chained. They walked into the interview room by themselves.”
He said if it were true that they were chained, the sound of the chains would have been heard in the video that was played in court earlier on Tuesday.
On why their lawyers were not present while they were being interviewed, the witness said none of them requested to have either their lawyers, family members, officials of the Legal Aid Council or a Justice of the Peace (JP) present.
The witness urged the court to admit the statements and the audiovisual recordings of the interview sessions with the defendants in evidence for the purpose of the trial.
Under cross-examination by lawyers to the defendants, the witness said the defendants did not make their statements in the presence of either their lawyers, family members, officials of the Legal Aid Council or a JP.
He, however, insisted that they were neither tortured nor compelled to make the statements.
At the conclusion of the cross-examination, Oyedepo announced the closure of the prosecution’s case in the trial-within-trial, having called four witnesses.
Meanwhile, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate allegations by the prosecution that part of the evidence it tendered in court and served on lawyers to the defendants was displayed on social media.
Justice Abdulmalik also ordered that if there is any evidence on social media that contravenes the court’s earlier order for witness protection, the DSS should investigate and bring the perpetrator to book.
She said the investigation should be conducted while the trial is ongoing since all the defendants, through their lawyers, denied being involved.
Oyedepo had, midway into proceedings, told the court that he got information that some videos tendered by the prosecution in the case were posted on social media by a social media personality known as VeryDarkMan.
He informed the court that the same individual was among the audience. He urged the judge to order an investigation to ascertain how the materials got into the hands of the said VeryDarkMan.
When asked by the judge to respond, all six defence lawyers denied involvement. Some asked Oyedepo to file a formal application and an affidavit to enable them respond appropriately.
The judge proceeded to hear the bail applications filed by the defendants. While the defence lawyers urged the court to grant bail to their clients on liberal terms, the prosecution urged the court to dismiss the applications.
Justice Abdulmalik has adjourned till June 25 and 30 for the first, second and third defendants to conduct their defence in the trial-within-trial, following which the fourth, fifth and sixth defendants will conduct their defence on July 1 and 2.
She fixed ruling on the bail applications for July 20.
Alleged coup plot: Nigerian govt urges court to admit statements of accused persons
Alleged coup plot: Nigerian govt urges court to admit statements of accused persons
