The Federal High Court in Lagos Monday, December 4 ruled that the case involving some staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who were allegedly induced to rig the 2015 general election by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke will go on.
Mrs. Alison Madueke, the INEC staff claimed, had passed on the money to them through Fidelity Bank Plc, branch in Ilorin.
When an official of the bank had his day in the court, he confirmed that he was asked to give the INEC staff some money and he did. The money Mrs Alison Madueke allegedly spent on the INEC staff through Fidelity Bank runs into millions of Naira.
Justice Mohammed Idris had dismissed claims by a former Administrative Secretary at the Kwara State office of the INEC, Christian Nwosu that he was forced to make statements, for which he prayed for the matter to be retried.
Nwosu, contrary to earlier claim, had told the court that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allegedly forced him to surrender his property worth N30million.
He claimed he was also induced to part with N5million in a bid to regain his freedom.
Nwosu noted that the statements he had made at EFCC were dictated to him while the one he had made voluntarily was described as “rubbish”.
Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir were accused of receiving N30million bribe from Mrs. Alison-Madueke to rig the 2015 general election results.
They were arraigned along with Yisa Adedoyin, who pleaded guilty to receiving cash payment of N70, 050,000.00 from Mrs. Alison-Madueke.
Mrs. Alison-Madueke is also named in the charge, but is said to be “at large”.
Justice Idris had ordered a trial within trial to determine the truthfulness of Nwosu’s statements.
Ruling on the trial within trial Monday, Justice idris held that there was no sufficient proof that Nwosu did not make his statements voluntarily.
He said he did not find any confession to any crime by Nwosu in the statements.
Said Idris: “A confession, to be a confession, must be direct and positive as far as the charges are concerned. To constitute a confession, a statement must admit that the maker thereof admitted the offences for which he is charged and must be clear, precise and unequivocal.
“It has not been shown that the statements made were direct and unequivocal to the commission of the offence for which the first defendant stands trial in this matter.
“I cannot in the circumstances, therefore, hold these statements are indeed confessional.”
The judge said Nwosu admitted that a word of caution was read to him before he signed the statements.
Justice Idris added that the first defendant failed to corroborate his claim that he was forced to make the statement.
“In the circumstances, I hold that the statements are admissible in evidence. The statements are, therefore, admitted in evidence and are marked as exhibits in the trial,” Justice Idris said.
He adjourned until January 11 for continuation of tria