Cynthia Osokogwu: Nude photos were planted by police, suspect tells court

A prime suspect in the murder of Cynthia Osokogwu, Okwumo Nwabufor, yesterday told an Igbosere High Court that the nude photos of the deceased found by the police in his laptop were planted by the police.

He said: “When the police searched my residence, they took my iPhone and my iPad. They must have put the photographs into the laptop.”

Nwabufor, who was being cross-examined by a defence counsel, Michael Ajayi, said the police threatened his life and tortured him into making written and video taped confessional statements.

“The police tortured and threatened me into admitting that I and Olisa Chidera (the second defendant) committed the crime.

“There is no truth in my statements to the police, I made those admissions in my confessional statement because I feared for my life,” he said.

Nwabufor, 35, is standing trial before Justice Olabisi Akinlade, alongside Olisa Chidera, 25; Orji Osita, 34 and Ejike Ifechukwu, 26, over alleged murder of their Facebook friend, Miss Cynthia Osokogwu, 24, a postgraduate student of Nasarawa State University, at Cosmilla Hotel, Lake View Estate, Festac Town, Lagos on July 22, 2012 .

Meanwhile, a mild drama, ensued in court as the trial had to be stopped abruptly   because Ajayi, the defence counsel of the second defendant, Chidera, was unwilling to cross-examine his client when he took the witness stand.

“My Lord, I am unwilling to open cross examination because my client is ill with severe stomach pains. He reported to me this morning that he was sick,” Ajayi told the court.

Justice Akinlade registered her displeasure at Ajayi’s unwillingness to start the process of cross-examination of the defendant

“Ajayi has not been diligent in the prosecution of this matter, at every proceeding you always come up with one excuse or the other,” the judge admonished.