Bamaiyi Awaits Judgment as parties close case

The trial of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ishaya Bamayi came to a final stage, yesterday, Monday, March 18, 2008 before Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of the Ikeja High Court, Lagos when counsel to the state, Mrs. Ogungbesan made her submission.

Mrs. Ogungbesan in her address implores the court to recognize and accept the various testimonies of the witnesses which linked Bamayi offences filed against him by the state.

According to her, witness statements of Sergeant Barnababs Jabila aka Sgt. Rogers, CSP Sunday Machibi and Captain Mohammed Bature linked Gen. Bamayi with attempted murder on the lives of Isaac Porbeni and Pat Utomi.

She added that the claim by Osahon Idemudia, the defense counsel, those statements of the defense witnesses were conflicting and contradictory should be disregarded, claiming that such statements are mere discrepancy, which the court can recognize through various illustrations of the testifiers.

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Counsel to Gen. Bamayi, Osahon Idemudia had earlier claimed that various witness statements are cooked up, alleging that this was revealed by various conflicting and contradictory statements of witnesses in the trial.

Osahon further stressed that the prosecution denied the defense of some documents which included Captain Najaja’s statement and SIP report in other to limit the accused in the pressing homes his defense before the court.

Hence, he urged the court to disregard various statements in evidence before the court and discharge and acquit the accused of the four count charges of conspiring and attempted murder, saying that the state has failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the alleged offence filed against the accused.

The nine years old trial of General Ishaya Bamayi along with Major Hamza Mustapha, James Danbaba, Rabo Lawal and Col. Bala Yakubu who were arraigned before Justice Ade Alabi on a four count charge of attempted murder on the lives of Chief Alex Ibru and Isaac Porbeni now awaits judgment by the trial judge Olubunmi Oyewole.



Prince Charles Dickson