A Witness Narrated How Husband Beat Wife To Death In F.C.T.

A witness Raymond Isama, has narrated how a man called Clement Davis, allegedly beat his wife to death on Aug. 8, 2016.

Isama of FCT Police Command, led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr Afraabasi Ebong, was testifying in a culpable homicide charge preferred against Davis in an FCT High Court, Lugbe.

Isama said that the woman fell down and became unconscious after the defendant slapped her, adding that she was rushed to the hospital where she was confirmed dead.

The witness said that the case was transferred from the Apo Police Division to the CID Department, Homicide Section, on Aug. 11, 2016. Isama said that Davies in his statement, said that when he came back from office, the door to his house was locked, the wife was not around and nobody was in the house. He said when the wife later came back and opened the door, she immediately left and went back to where she was coming from. Isama said that in the statement, Davis said he followed his wife, to trace where she was heading to.

The witness said that when the woman got to her destination, Davies approached her and slapped her on the face, beat her and she fell down. “ She fell down and became unconscious. She was taken to the hospital by the defendant but later confirmed dead by a doctor,’’ the witness said. Ebong sought to tender the statement made by Davies, but was opposed by the counsel to the defendant, Mr. Bank Akomolafe. Akomolafe said that the statement in question was an extra judicial statement, written by the police, adding that it did not constitute any evidence.

He said that the Supreme Court had ruled that extra judicial statement by the police could not be admitted as exhibit, adding that Section 232 of the Evidence Act frowns against that. Akomolafe said that the statement that the victim was slapped, beaten and then collapsed, were what the police, as represented by Isama , was told and not that he was physically present at that point in time. Ebong, in his response said that the statement should be admitted as exhibit, as it complied with the Evidence Act.

 The judge, Justice Angela Otaluka, in her short ruling, admitted the statement as exhibit and adjourned the case until July 12 for further hearing.

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