One of the witnesses in the Ozubulu church massacre case, Chief
Osita Okosieme, has alleged that he is receiving death
threats from Ghana.
The Man who is the third prosecuting witness in the case, told
the Nnewi High Court on Friday, that his life was under threat by
unknown persons.
He raised the alarm while being led in evidence by the
Prosecuting Counsel, Jay Jay Ezeuko (SAN) .
It would be recalled that on August 6th, 2017, unknown gunmen
invaded St Philip’s Catholic Church in Amakwa Ozubulu, where they
killed 13 persons, while injuring 29 others.
Okosieme said he received calls from unknown persons from Ghana
three days to his appearance to the court warning him not to come
to court to bear witness.
He said the unknown callers said they would kill him if he
ventured to appear in the court.
According to him, “My Lord, I got text messages and I got
calls from Ghana, they said they will kill me if I attend to
court today to give evidence”
“They sent the threats through text messages and I also got
calls from Ghana”
“I urge the court to give me protection today and
henceforth.”
In his reaction, the Defence Counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo,
asked Okosieme to be free to disclose the identity of those that
threatened him and he would take it up from there.
He said, “What you are doing is in line with the law, you are
trying to help the court to unravel those involved in the heinous
killing, if they are from our side (defence) we shall personally
take it up. ”
But the Prosecuting Counsel, urged the court to ensure that all
the witnesses were protected because, according to him, “this is
having a chilling effect on our witnesses.”
The presiding judge, Justice F. I. Aniukwu, said every effort
was to bring the truth in the matter, hence there was
no need to threaten anybody, stressing that the court would not
take such threats lightly.
In his evidence in-chief, Okosieme said one Opanga saw him in a
hotel in Awka and said it had been long he had been looking for him
and would want to tell him something about the Ozubulu killing.
Okosieme said, “When I asked him what he wanted to tell me, he
said Bishop added his name in the list of people who carried out
the shooting at Ozubulu”
“That he would want me to link him with Bishop so that he would
tell him that he was not among the people that carried out the
shooting”
“That he would want to tell me the truth that somebody told him
about the job but he declined to join”
“When I asked him who was the person that told him about the job
he said Nwa Atani who was previously in South Africa but came back
to Nigeria because of problem”
He said he and Nwa Atani was previously arrested before he,
Opanka was granted bail”
“Opanka was so desperate to see Bishop but I told him that
Bishop travelled but after four days Bishop returned and went to
the Police cell and saw Nwa Atani and confirmed that he knew him as
Dog.”
In his own evidence the fourth prosecution witness, Mr.
Leonard Ndulue said he was in the church on the fateful day.
He said he sustained injury on his right hand from one of the
gunmen who he pointed to the court among the four accused.
“The event happened during the consecration of the Holy
Communion, I had a gunshot, and when I looked up I had an eye
contact with the gunman and shortly after I got a gun wound and
fell down as if I was dead. From the floor, I was observing the gun
man”
“The gun man tried to change his magazine and it fell and while
picking the magazine, his face cap fell”
“I managed to crawl out and on the floor I heard a voice saying
Dog, Dog, let’s go and the gun man came out and followed the one
calling Dog and they left.”
After the cross examination, Justice Aniukwu adjourned the
matter to March 2 and March 16 for continuation of
hearing.
Meanwhile, some youths from Egbema Ozubulu mobilized to the
court asking for the release of one of the suspects, claiming he
was innocent of the matter.
One of the witnesses in the Ozubulu church massacre case, Chief
Osita Okosieme, has alleged that he is receiving death
threats from Ghana.
The Man who is the third prosecuting witness in the case, told
the Nnewi High Court on Friday, that his life was under threat by
unknown persons.
He raised the alarm while being led in evidence by the
Prosecuting Counsel, Jay Jay Ezeuko (SAN) .
It would be recalled that on August 6th, 2017, unknown gunmen
invaded St Philip’s Catholic Church in Amakwa Ozubulu, where they
killed 13 persons, while injuring 29 others.
Okosieme said he received calls from unknown persons from Ghana
three days to his appearance to the court warning him not to come
to court to bear witness.
He said the unknown callers said they would kill him if he
ventured to appear in the court.
According to him, “My Lord, I got text messages and I got
calls from Ghana, they said they will kill me if I attend to
court today to give evidence”
“They sent the threats through text messages and I also got
calls from Ghana”
“I urge the court to give me protection today and
henceforth.”
In his reaction, the Defence Counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo,
asked Okosieme to be free to disclose the identity of those that
threatened him and he would take it up from there.
He said, “What you are doing is in line with the law, you are
trying to help the court to unravel those involved in the heinous
killing, if they are from our side (defence) we shall personally
take it up. ”
But the Prosecuting Counsel, urged the court to ensure that all
the witnesses were protected because, according to him, “this is
having a chilling effect on our witnesses.”
The presiding judge, Justice F. I. Aniukwu, said every effort
was to bring the truth in the matter, hence there was
no need to threaten anybody, stressing that the court would not
take such threats lightly.
In his evidence in-chief, Okosieme said one Opanga saw him in a
hotel in Awka and said it had been long he had been looking for him
and would want to tell him something about the Ozubulu killing.
Okosieme said, “When I asked him what he wanted to tell me, he
said Bishop added his name in the list of people who carried out
the shooting at Ozubulu”
“That he would want me to link him with Bishop so that he would
tell him that he was not among the people that carried out the
shooting”
“That he would want to tell me the truth that somebody told him
about the job but he declined to join”
“When I asked him who was the person that told him about the job
he said Nwa Atani who was previously in South Africa but came back
to Nigeria because of problem”
He said he and Nwa Atani was previously arrested before he,
Opanka was granted bail”
“Opanka was so desperate to see Bishop but I told him that
Bishop travelled but after four days Bishop returned and went to
the Police cell and saw Nwa Atani and confirmed that he knew him as
Dog.”
In his own evidence the fourth prosecution witness, Mr.
Leonard Ndulue said he was in the church on the fateful day.
He said he sustained injury on his right hand from one of the
gunmen who he pointed to the court among the four accused.
“The event happened during the consecration of the Holy
Communion, I had a gunshot, and when I looked up I had an eye
contact with the gunman and shortly after I got a gun wound and
fell down as if I was dead. From the floor, I was observing the gun
man”
“The gun man tried to change his magazine and it fell and while
picking the magazine, his face cap fell”
“I managed to crawl out and on the floor I heard a voice saying
Dog, Dog, let’s go and the gun man came out and followed the one
calling Dog and they left.”
After the cross examination, Justice Aniukwu adjourned the
matter to March 2 and March 16 for continuation of
hearing.
Meanwhile, some youths from Egbema Ozubulu mobilized to the
court asking for the release of one of the suspects, claiming he
was innocent of the matter.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/ozubulu-massacre-witness-alleges-threat-to-life-from-ghana/