Cynthia murder: Court wants all suspects produced

A Yaba Magistrate Court, Lagos has ordered the Ikoyi Prison authorities to produce in court,  all suspected killers of Cynthia Osokogu, who was allegedly killed after she was drugged, noting that the matter ought to have been at the appropriate court by now.
Magistrate Olalekan Aka-Bashorun gave the order, yesterday, following an oral application by the prosecution team lead by Mr. Chukwu Agwu, to consolidate the three separate charges in the case.

Okwumo Echezona Nwabufo (right) and Ezike Ilechukwu Olisaeloka, suspected murderers of Late Miss Cynthia Osokogu Udoka covering their faces at the Yaba Magistrate Court, Lagos yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

The court said that it would be impossible for the prosecution to consolidate the charges unless the defendants were present in court.
At that stage, Mr. Agwu urged the court to issue a reproduction warrant on the Ikoyi Prison to produce the defendants in court at the next adjourned date.
However, counsel to the defendants, Jude Ngobili, John Aroh, Mr. I. Osimiri and Chris Obiaka urged the court to compel the prosecution to make available to them, proof of evidence and other documentary evidence that would be used during trial.

Objecting to the defence counsel application for proof of evidence, Agwu said “the proof of evidence is neither here nor there. This is not a court of trial. It is not my duty to inform my learned colleague where to go and make the application.”
Aroh argued that he had made a written application to the prosecution to forward to defence lawyers proof of evidence but, the prosecution failed to comply, adding that in the spirit of fair hearing, the defendants are presumed innocent until contrary in proved.
“If they are saying that it is premature to ask for proof of evidence, which is obviously what we are going to rely on, justice is not a one way traffic. Fair hearing demands that both parties be given adequate opportunity to defend their case,” Obiaka argued