I didn’t meet Osokogwu on Facebook, she was my lover —Suspected killer, Nwabufo

                               

The first defendant in the ongoing trial of the murder of Cynthia Osokogwu, Okwumo Nwabufo, on Friday, told a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere that he and the deceased were lovers and that he had even proposed to her and they were about getting married.

Nwabufo, who was led in evidence by his counsel, Chris Opara, said that he and the deceased met at Shoprite in Lekki in 2011  where he went for shopping, while she was also shopping at a fashion shop, contrary to reports that they met on facebook. 

The defendant said when he met her, she was making enquiries, so he introduced himself to her and she equally introduced herself to him, adding that he gave her his card and she gave him her phone number.

He also stated that the deceased told him about herself and where she resided and he also did the same and they became very close.

The defendant, who claimed to be a car dealer and also a part-time student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) studying accounting, said he paid the deceased a visit in Abuja and he invited her to where he lodged at a hotel in Abuja.

Nwabufo said from that moment, they became close and he started assisting.

“Cynthia was my girlfriend, we were  close as the way lovers are before they get married, she visited me often in Lagos, she had been to my house up to five times. I have been very helpful to her, doing everything a boyfriend can do to his girlfriend like monetary support, moral support and advising her always.

“I promised her that I would marry her and she accepted, but told me it was still early, that I should wait till Christmas when I would visit her parents in Delta State. Everything about us was going well till the day I heard about her death. I was so devastated, I was crying asking why should it be her and who must have done this. The police didn’t give me chance to express my feelings and they made me look like a murderer,” he said.

He further told the court that he received a call from the deceased on July 21 2012 that she would be in Lagos at Cosmilla Hotel, Lake View Estate, Festac Town,  that he should come over to see her.

“She had earlier sent a BlackBerry phone to me to repair. I asked her what was the problem with the phone. and she said most items on the phone used to delete easily. I gave it to my second cousin, Chidera (the second defendant) to assist me in giving it to a repairer because I was busy. When the phone was repaired, I called my girlfriend but she told me that people told her that once a BlackBerry had issues, the best thing was to sell it. So she asked me to sell it. That was how I asked my second cousin to sell and give me the money. So he sold it for N40,000 and gave me the money,” he added.

According to the defendant, having the money with him and based on the fact that he was  happy seeing her, he decided to go to the hotel with the second defendant. When he got there, he introduced himself to the receptionist and asked if he could see the deceased.

“I tried calling her phones but they were not connecting. I pleaded with the receptionist to check the name on their guest list because Cynthia said she lodged there, but she said there was no such name. I was confused and asked her if there was any other hotel around that bears the name Cosmilla, or if they have a branch around, she said no,” he said.

“After this, I left the hotel and returned to my house. I was still worried why her phone was not connecting. I and my cousin continued to call her number. After some time, I became tired of calling the line and instead, I called the hotel, it was my cousin’s phone that was able to get the hotel and I told him to ask if they had seen her. I kept on trying the number again. The next time I reached her, I was surprised to hear that she had an accident and that she was in Rabiu Hospital, Abuja.”

The defendant told Justice Olabisi Akinlade that he was sad and curious and then decided to contact people in Abuja if they knew any hospital called Rabiu Hospital, but all his efforts proved abortive until he was arrested by the police.

He told the judge that on August 1, 2012, he was in his house around 1.00a.m. with one of his cousins and a friend who was about to travel to South Africa when he heard a loud noise and saw policemen in his sitting room. They asked who was Echezona and  he answered that he was the one, after which he said the policemen started beating him. 

During cross examination by the Attorney General of Lagos State, Ade Ipaye, the defendant told the court that he did not meet the late Cynthia on facebook as he did not have a facebook account.

“I can’t recall anything in the statement obtained by the police because the police told me to follow the script,” he added.

When asked about the time he proposed to the deceased, he said he could not remember but that it took place in his room during one of her visits to him. He also said he did not know what she studied in the university and had forgotten her birthday.

He denied ever knowing Ryhophnol and also denied putting the drug in the deceased’s drink.

“I came across the drug during this trial. I don’t know how it looks like, it is a fabricated story and allegation against me. Cynthia was my girlfriend who I loved. I can never think of such and I can’t do such to any human being. I didn’t administer any drug on her, it was the police that told me to accept and to put it in writing and to claim that the pharmacist sold it to me,” he said

The matter was adjourned till December 12 for continuation of trial.

Nigerian Tribune