Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, told the defense counsel in the ongoing trial of five persons accused by the Department of State Services (DSS) of carrying out the June 5, 2022, attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State to guide defense witnesses testifying in the matter.

The Judge’s directive followed a complaint by counsel to the prosecution, Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, that the pattern of evidence presented by the defendants was the same and had been taking up too much time of the court.

The senior lawyer stated that the defense should not be at large but must be centered on the allegations against the five defendants, adding that, given the current pace, the defendants may not be able to present their defense within a reasonable time.

Although Justice Nwite said he did not want to shut out the defendants in giving evidence, especially on the strength of a fair hearing, he agreed that the defendants were not specific to the facts of the charges.

He urged the lawyer to lead his clients into issues that are related to the accusations against them so as to save the court’s time.

Justice Nwite subsequently fixed March 25 for the continuation of the trial.

The first defendant witness (DW1), Abdulmalik Idris Omeiza had, narrated in his evidence, how he was arrested at about 2:26 am on August 1, 2022 by DSS operatives in his house in Okehi LGA of Kogi state and driven to the Lokoja office of the secret police where he alleged that, he was hanged with chains on his legs and his eyes were covered.

The witness told the court of his ordeal at the hands of the DSS, alleging that he was beaten with a wire on his bare body by operatives of the DSS.

“After the beating , they dropped me from where I was hanged, poured water on me and started using electric light to shock me”, he said.

Also in his evidence, the second defense witness (DW2), Al Quasim Idris, alleged that he was beaten by DSS operatives while in their custody in Akure, Ondo state.

According to the witness, DSS, while beating him, asked him to confess that he is a wicked person, and he repeatedly told them that he is not a wicked person.

The DSS, prosecuting the defendants on behalf of the Federal Government, closed their case after calling nine witnesses.

The secret police arrested Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Quasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar in August 2022 in Kogi and Ondo states in connection with the Owo Catholic church terror attack.

______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation ______________________________________________________________________ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. Bonus: Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.

How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com

Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626

________________________________________________________________________ The Law And Practice Of Redundancy In Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Guide, Authored By A Labour & Employment Law Expert Bimbo Atilola _______________________________________________________________________