Olisaeloka Chidera- Ezike, one of the suspects in the ongoing murder trial of Cynthia Osokogu, yesterday told a Lagos High Court that he never met the deceased in person.

He also told the court that he only heard about her from his uncle, Okwumo Nwabufo, who is the first defendant.

He said his uncle talked about her a lot and thought they were very close, saying the uncle had even told him he had plan to take her as wife and they laughed over it.

Chidera-Ezike, who is second defendant in the murder case, stated this during his cross-examination by Attorney-General of Lagos State, Ade Ipaye, who is prosecutor in the matter.

The defendant told Justice Olabisi Akinlade that he never saw the deceased with the first defendant and that he did not purchase the flight ticket for Ms Osokogu to come to Lagos as stated in the statement he wrote before the police, saying that statement was made under duress.

He admitted that he went to Cosmila Hotel on July 20, 2012, with the first defendant, because he was eager to meet his girl-friend whom he had spoken much about.

He said when they arrived at the hotel and the first defendant made enquiries about her they were told by the receptionist that there was nobody with such name there, adding that the first defendant insisted that the deceased was in the hotel, they refused and said they can’t be going from one hotel room to the other so they collected the hotel card, which had the hotel phone number and left.

The defendant further denied ever seeing the first defendant make any calls to the deceased, stating that while they were having lunch in the first defendant’s house in Festac, Lagos, the first defendant decided to call the hotel to confirm if they had any news about the deceased, but the call didn’t go through. The first defendant thereafter asked him to call the hotel with his own number, which he did, and he handed the phone over immediately he heard a female voice reply. He said after the first defendant gave him back his phone, he made little pleasantries with the receptionist on the phone around 2pm.

Earlier the defendant who was led in evidence by his counsel, Michael Ajayi, said he was arrested in Nnewi, Anambra State where he went to visit his sick grandfather. He said a friend named Oril called to say she wanted to visit him in Nnewi and he gave his address, only to be arrested by two (plainclothes police) men when he went to pick her. He said the men showed him a gun, collected his two phones, handcuffed and bundled him into their car.

Chidera-Ezike said the policemen tortured him after baring his clothes. He said an Inspector Frank dropped candle wax on his private part, telling him to admit to the crime, but that he kept saying he didn’t know anything about the deceased.

However Justice Akinlade adjourned the matter till April 28 and May 15, for continuation of trial.

Murderers