The prosecution in the ongoing trial of six men accused of complicity in the plot to topple President Bola Tinubu-led administration has urged a Federal High Court in Abuja to admit in evidence the statements made to investigators by the defendants.

The fourth witness of 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 that they were tortured to make the statements in which five of them, except the first, admitted knowing about the plot.

On whether the claim by the defendants that their feet were chained, the witness said: “It is not true. The defendants’ feet were not chained; they walked into the interview room on their own.

He said that if it was true they were chained, the sound of the chain would have been heard in the video played in court earlier on Tuesday.

Regarding why their lawyers were not present during the interview, the witness said none of them requested the presence of their lawyers, family members, officials of the Legal Aid Council, or a Justice of the Peace (JP).

The witness urged the court to admit the statement and the audiovisual recordings of the interview session with the defendants into evidence for the purposes of the trial.

Under cross-examination by the defendants’ lawyers, 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 the defendants’ lawyers 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 protecting witnesses, 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, have denied involvement.

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 citizen called Very Dark Man.

He Informed the court that the same individual was among the audience. He urged the judge to order an investigation to determine how the materials came into the hands of the said Very Dark Man.

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 respond appropriately.

The judge heard 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 the matter till June 25 and 30 for the first, second, and third defendants to conduct their defence in the trial-within-trial, after which the fourth, fifth, and sixth defendants will conduct their defence on July 1 and 2.

She fixed the ruling on the bail application for July 20. (The Nation)

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