Tina Amanda
Sergeant Johnbosco Okereze, the 3rd Defendant in the Ifeanyi Dike’s murder case has opened his Defence at a Rivers State high court sitting in Port Harcourt.
Dike is standing trial for the killing of eight-year-old Chikamso Favour in August 2017 after raping her and removing her genitals.
Two other accomplices who are also facing trial is Ugochukwu Nwaniro, who is accused of complacency over his refusal to report to the Police after having proficiency of the murder, and Sergeant John Bosco Okereze who is accused of aiding the escape of Dike from the State CID, after his arrest.
Okereze told the court that he did not aid Ifeanyi Dike’s escape, stressing that he was not attending to the 1st defendant alone before his escape from the state CID.
Johnbosco further told the court that the fence Ifeanyi Dike escaped from is not up to six feet high, adding that seven to eight-armed officers were always on duty each day at the state CID.
The State Prosecuting Counsel, Chidi Ekeh, told the court that the statement of evidence given by Johnbosco before the court is not the same statement he gave to police at the time of his arrest.
Ekeh sought for time to go and examine the statements, before cross-examining the 3rd Defendant.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli adjourned the case to 4th October for the continuation of cross-examination.
Speaking to our reporter Tina Amanda, Chikwele Bekwe, Counsel to Johnbosco Okereze, said his client has told the court that he did not aid the escape of Ifeanyi Dike, stressing that they await the judgment of the court to exonerate him.
The State Prosecuting Counsel said their claim is that Johnbosco aided the escape of Ifeanyi Dike, adding that if Johnbosco claims he is innocent, why did he not do anything to stop the 1st Defendant from escaping the state CID.
On his part, Lezina Amegwa, Counsel to Ifeanyi Dike, said the court’s prosecution and the Defence Counsels are doing their best to ensure the matter comes to a conclusion.
