John Oji, Samuel Odoetuk Wills
The Sekondi High Court trying the two Nigerians, Samuel Udoetuk Wills and John Oji, in connection with the kidnapping and subsequent murder of four girls in Takoradi in the Western Region, has fixed Friday, March 5, 2021 as the date for its final judgment on the case.
The trial judge, Justice Richard Adjei-Frimpong, remarked, “Gradually we are coming to the end of this case. The court has set March 5, 2021 as the judgment day,” during the proceedings in Sekondi yesterday after the counsel for the two accused persons respectively closed their defence.
He indicated that prior to the final ruling by the court, the prosecution and the lawyers for the accused persons would have to give both written and oral addresses.
He, therefore, asked the prosecution to file their written address on February 17, 2021 and also told the defence lawyers to submit their addresses on February 24, 2021.
He then set March 3, 2021 as the day the lawyers would address the jury orally for the jury to give its verdict.
“We will skip a day to tidy up and on March 5, which is Friday, I will give my final judgment. It will be the judgment day,” the judge told the audience.
Final Questions
During cross examination earlier by the Chief State Attorney, Patience Klinogo, the second accused person, Mr. Oji, told the court that an alleged Facebook conversation between him and the first accused, Mr. Wills, purported to have been retrieved by the investigators from his phone, was not true.
He claimed that the mobile phone he was using did not support social media applications.
The prosecutor then pointed out to Mr. Oji that during his social media conversion with Mr. Wills they discussed how they used blood sacrifices for money, but Mr. Oji disagreed with her.
The Chief State Attorney asked, “During one of such conversations, the first accused asked whether you could kill someone for money and you said yes,” but Mr. Oji replied “I disagree.”
“Again Mr. Wills asked you whether cocaine could make a lady stupor and you said no but he should rather use heroin,” the prosecutor pushed once more and Mr. Oji said again that “I disagree with you.”
The Chief Stare Attorney asked “which of the four girls did you know?” and Mr. Oji said “I did not know any of them.”
The prosecutor asked “do you know Priscilla Blessing Bentum?” and Mr. Oji answered “No, I do not know her.”
“I put it to you that you know her, she was your girlfriend,” the prosecutor pointed out to him, and the second accused replied, “I don’t even have a girlfriend in Nigeria. I don’t know any Priscilla.”
The prosecutor asked again, “On August 17, 2018, you personally kidnapped Priscilla Blessing Bentum and you told the first accused person about it?” and Mr. Oji said “I disagree with that.”
She continued, “On July 29, 2018, you and the first accused agreed to kidnap and cause the death of Ruth Abekah,” but again Mr. Oji disagreed with the prosecutor.
The prosecutor asked again, “on August 17, 2018 you and the first accused agreed to act together to cause the death of Ms. Bentum and in pursuant to that you caused her death,” and Mr. Oji said “I disagree to that.”
The Prosecutor fired again, “On December 4, 2018, the two of you agreed to act together to cause the death of Ruth Love Quayson and following the agreement you caused her death,” and Mr. Oji responded that “I disagree with that.”
The Chief State Attorney asked, “On December 21, 2018, you and the first accused agreed to cause the death of Priscilla Mantebea Koranchie, and in pursuant to that you caused her death?” and Mr. Oji again disagreed to that.
The prosecutor asked Mr. Oji, “On August 2, 2019, you were in Sekondi prisons?” and Mr. Oji said “yes.”
“On that day three skeletal remains were retrieved from a septic tank and on August 6, 2019 another set of skeletal remains was also retrieved from a well around an uncompleted building at Nkroful near Takoradi,” the prosecutor asked and Mr. Oji replied” I am not aware.”
“Were you taken to the sites where the remains were retrieved”, The Chief State Attorney asked and Mr. Oji replied in the affirmative.
The prosecutor asked, “So you saw the remains” and Mr. Oji said “yes.”
“I put it to you that you were shocked when you saw the remains,” the prosecutor asked and Mr. Oji said “yes.”
“You were shocked because you thought the remains would not be discovered,” the prosecutor probed further and Mr. Oji said “I don’t need skeletal remains for any purpose.”
“I put it to you that the remains were that of the four girls you kidnapped and killed,” the prosecutor asked and Oji answered “I disagree to that. I have not kidnapped anybody neither did I cause the death of anyone.”
“My Lord, that will be all for the witness,” the prosecutor said, and the case ended.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Sekondi