Ayodele Olalere
A Prosecution Witness in the alleged defamation suit filed by the former chairman of Ijede Local Council Development Area, LCDA Fathiu Salisu, Omaka Udodinma, against an APC chieftain, Oluwatosin Onamade, on Monday told Justice Olayinka Faaji of a Federal High Court, Lagos, he was not aware the petitioner had been indicted by a murder suspect, Shittu Michael Olawale.
Udodinma made the admission while being cross examined by the counsel to the defendant, Adedayo Osijo.
Salisu had dragged Onamade, before the court for allegedly accusing him as the mastermind of an attack on him (Onamade) in his office at Ijede, in the build up to the 2021 local government primary election in Lagos State in which Onamade contested against Salisu who then was gunning for a second term in office.
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The attackers allegedly murdered one of the staff of the defendant, one Ifeanyi, during the incident.
At the Monday’s continuation of trial, when asked if he investigated all the suspects namely Farouq Fasasi, Gbolahan Olubi, Owolabi Sadiq, Shittu Michael Olawale and Olayide Opeifa, arrested in connection with the incident, the witness admitted he did not investigate them to ascertain the involvement of the petitioner in the incident.
Asked if he was aware one of the suspects, Shittu Michael Olawale, in his statement before the police, indicted the petitioner of being the mastermind behind the attack, the witness also admitted he did not know as he did not investigate the suspects.
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Counsel to the defendant further asked the witness how his investigating team arrived at its conclusion that the defendant’s allegation against the petitioner was a defamation of his character since the team failed to investigate the suspects.
A photocopy of the statement of one of the suspects indicting the petitioner was presented by counsel to the defendant before the court as exhibit.
However, counsel to the petitioner, Omotayo Olatubosun, objected to the admissibility of the statement on the ground that it was not certified by the police.
The court ordered the defendant’s counsel to ensure the statement is certified and represent it at the next trial date.
The matter was adjourned till December 5 for continuation of trial.