Defendants in a robbery case before a Benin High Court, Edo State, including three junior secondary school dropouts, on Friday, disowned written and video confessional statements, which they allegedly wrote.

The trio included Osamudiamwen Abudu, Sunday Owolabi, and Emeka Igwe.

They are facing a three-count charge, pertaining to conspiracy, armed robbery, and receipt of stolen items.

At the resumed hearing of the case, the Evidence-in-Chief, Inspector Oloyo Thompson, of the Legal Monitoring Unit, Edo State Police Command, told the court that the defendants made written confessional statements and a video-recorded statement, transferred to a flash drive, detailing how they committed the crime.

However, when confronted with their alleged written statements in court, the trio denied knowing anything about the statements.

They also denied that the signatures on the written statements belonged to them.

Abudu and Owolabi, along with others at large, were arrested on August 18, 2024, at a police checkpoint in Ugbowo.

According to Mr Thompson, the defendants were arrested with three phones and a power bank, which they stole from the University of Benin students at Ekosodin, Ugbowo.

He said that during the investigation, it was discovered that the two defendants robbed one Iriogbe David of one phone and a power bank, and at the time of the robbery, were armed with broken bottles and stones.

He said that the duo also robbed other students of their phones, which they had previously sold to the third defendant, Igwe.

Igwe also allegedly made a confessional statement that he did receive stolen iPhone 6 and iPhone 7.

In their statements, the three defendants allegedly stated that they were junior secondary school dropouts, while Igwe claimed to have trained in phones repairs.

Mr Thompson said that Igwe was arrested in his shop at the Bob Izua Shopping Mall, located at King’s Square.

In the alleged statements, Abudu and Owolabi, stated that the stolen phones with passwords were sold for N25,000 each, while the ones without passwords were sold for N35,000 each.

On Igwe’s alleged statement, he stated that he had been arrested before because of buying stolen phones.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 6(b) and is punishable under Section 1(2)(a) and Section 5 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap 11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Williams Aziegbemhin, granted the request of the State Prosecuting Counsel, Abel Amasowomwn, for the court to play the alleged defendants’ confessional video statements.

The alleged defendants’ written and signed statements were openly read by the evidence-in-chief, and the defendants’ statements and application, as well as the bond of the victims, were tendered and marked as Exhibits.

The Counsel for the defendants, Eloho Chika, did not oppose the prosecuting counsel’s request but argued that she was ambushed.

Ms Chika said that she was supposed to have had access to the exhibits to look at the video to enable her to prepare for cross-examination before watching it in the open court.

The judge adjourned the case to October 8 for cross-examination and continuation of hearing. 

(NAN)