Paramount Ruler of Omokiri communities in Aluu, Alhaji Hassan Walewa and four others, standing trial for their alleged involvement in the killing of four undergraduates of the University of Port Harcourt were on Thursday admitted to bail by a High Court.
The trial Judge, Justice Latam Nyordee granted the four persons bail to the tune of N2m each and two sureties in like sum as the sureties must also be verified to be resident in the trial jurisdiction and have evidence of landed property and updated tax record in the past five years.
Justice Nyordee in the ruling on various bail applications for all twelve accused persons currently standing trial said the 9th to the 12th persons charged with negligence to prevent murder have basis to be granted bail in relation to the weight of allegations against them.
However for the 1st to the 8th accused persons, the court denied their bail applications, affirming that he does not find sufficient basis to grant the applications as the charge of murder carrying capital punishment against them seem ordinarily not bailable barring the discretion of the court.
Those granted bail apart from Alhaji Walewa include Okogoro Endurance, Ozioma Abajuo and Chigozie Evans Samuel, the 10th, 11th and 12th accused respectively, while Lawal Segun, Ex-Sgt. Lucky Orji, Ikechukwu Levis Amadi, David Chimada, Abiodun Yusuf, Joshua Egbe, Cyril Abana and John Ayuwu also known as Johnny Baba were denied bail.
Before adjourning to 31st of October, the court also heard Supol. Raphael Ezeji whose, 1st Prosecution witness who tendered photographs and negatives of the alleged murder scene and those in the autopsy carried on the deceased which were both admitted as exhibits by the court.
Trial resumes October 31st with the court expected to rule on the argument between the Prosecution and the Defense, particularly Counsel to the 2nd Accused, Emmanuel John on the admissibility of a video footage on the murder scene downloaded from Youtube and played to the court during yesterday’s hearing.
The video footage as shown to the court was gory that those present including most female lawyers could not stand watching it.
Counsel to the 2nd Accused, John had contended that the video evidence is not admissible as the provider witness is not the originator, but Solicitor General of Rivers, Rufus Godwin, leading the Prosecution held that it is admissible as what counts most in the point of law for a criminal case is the relevance of the evidence to the case.