ABUJA- Retired Superintendent of Police, Rene Arany, on Wednesday told an FCT High Court, Gudu, that he endorsed the confessional statement of Bulus Monday, who is standing trial for alleged murder.
Arany, who was led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Mr Taiwo Malik, in trial-within-trial said he endorsed the statement in 2014.
Monday was accused of killing one Ozioko Onyeabuchi.
Monday, 27, a dismissed military man, is facing trial alongside his accomplice who abetted the crime, Donatus Ejike, 34 in two-count charge of culpable homicide punishable with death.
Arany was invited by the prosecution counsel, Taiwo, to give testimony in Monday’s trial, when the defendant argued that the statements he gave to the police in 2014 was not voluntary.
Arany, who was the head of the investigation team that investigated and recorded Monday’s statement, told the court that the defendant was not coaxed into giving the statement.
“He was neither sick nor molested while giving his confessional statement,’’ Arany said.
The witness also said that before he endorsed the defendant’s statement, he asked him if it was his statement of which the defendant answered in the affirmative.
According to the charges and the confessional statement made, Monday said he was contracted by the second defendant, Ejike to kill Onyeabuchi.
Monday had confessed that Ejike told him that he was a businessman and wanted to kill Onyeabuchi who was blocking his chances with a white client.
He said that himself and one Kelvin Emmanuel, who is still at large, killed the victim by stabbing him in the stomach along Airport Road.
He also said that Ejike had promised to pay them N1million each after they carried out the act.
The prosecutor said that the offence was contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code.
Justice Abubakar Talba adjourned hearing in the trial-within-trial until Feb.5, 2018.
