An FCT High Court in Maitama on Thursday ordered the trial- within-trial in a culpable homicide charge slammed on a 37-year-old, Mathew Ankyoor, who allegedly killed his wife.
Justice Peter Affen, while adjourning until February 19, said it was necessary to ascertain the veracity of the statements made by the accused.
Ankyoor is standing trial for allegedly beating his wife to death with a three-count hanging around his neck.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Thursday, Prosecuting Counsel, Mr. Donatus Abah, called the first prosecution witness (PW1), Insp. Raymond Isama of the Homicide Section of the FCT Police Command.
He said Ankyoor had written the statement without coercion, adding that he (Isama) took both the accused and the statement to a superior officer where the document was signed and countered-signed.
The witness added that the accused voluntarily signed the statement before the superior officer, while he (Isama) countered-signed.
Isama had also informed the court that he visited the scene of the crime as well as Wuse General Hospital, where a pathologist removed the baby inside the womb of the deceased, Mrs. Doosuur Ankyoor.
He said that he took the photographs of the baby, who also died in the process of being removed from its dead mother’s womb.
But there was a mild drama as an argument ensued between the two counsels when Abah sought to tender the accused’s statement as exhibit before the judge.
The Defendant’s Counsel, Mr. John Godwin, had objected to its admissibility on the grounds that it was contrary to Section 29 of the Evidence Act.
Godwin said the statement was not voluntarily made by the accused, adding that he was “tortured, coerced and intimidated into writing the statement”.
Arguing on point of law, the prosecuting counsel, insisted that the statement was admissible, adding that the defence counsel’s objection was only a ploy to delay the trial.
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