The witness, Sgt. Dele-Ojo Oduayo, an Investigation Police Officer (IPO) attached to the Inspector General of Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, claimed that the family of the Oba had paid the ransom to the kidnappers before he was moved to Lagos to investigate the case.
The accused persons, Duba Furejo, Ododomo Isaiah, Reuben Anthony and Yerin Fresh were arraigned before the court by the Lagos State government on an eight count charge of conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, robbery, armed robbery , felony and kidnapping.
The defendants, who allegedly carried out the crime on July 16, 2016 at the palace of the monarch, were said to have murdered a security detail attached to the palace, Sunday Eniola Okanlawon, and a commercial motorcycle rider, Joseph Okeke.
They were also said to have attempted to kill the monarch’s wife, Olori Abosede Oseni while making efforts to dispossess her of her property at gun point.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Oduayo, who was being led in evidence by the Lagos State Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jide Martins, said that the family were about to pay another ransom to the kidnappers before his team cracked the case.
The witness stated that his team ambushed the first accused person, Furejo, at the creek and arrested him.
He said, “Furejo was carrying a nylon bag containing N200, 000 at the time of his arrest, he confessed that the money was part of the ransom money.”
According to him, Furejo, linked the second accused, Isaiah to the crime and said Isaiah was escaping to Abeokuta.
“We arrested Isaiah at the Iyana Ipaja motor pack, as he was boarding a bus to Abeokuta,” he said.
The police officer also narrated to the court how the third and fourth accused were arrested.
Oduayo further testified that Isaiah had confessed to his team that the third accused was given N800, 000 from the ransom money which the fourth accused got a share from.
The IPO, however, told the court that the statements of all the accused were taken and the video recordings was taken during their interrogations.
After the testimony of the witness, the prosecutor tendered the statements of the accused, the video recordings, the photographs of the scene of crime and the N200, 000 cash found with the first accused.
The accused persons’ counsel, S. W. Baidi, Anthony Onwueze, and G. O. Egwuaroje, all objected to the admissibility of the documents.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, however, admitted the other documents in evidence but said that the video recordings must be viewed in the open court to ascertain its contents before it would be admitted.
The judge has adjourned the case till March 3 for continuation of trial.
