The six police officers accused of killing six Igbo traders in Abuja in 2005 have asked the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja where they are being prosecuted to discharge and acquit them of any wrongdoing in the incident.
The defendants namely: Danjuma Ibrahim, Othman Abdulsalam (at large), Nicholas Zakari, Emmanuel Baba, Ezekiel Acheneje and Sadiq Salami were arraigned before the trial judge, Justice Ishaq Bello on a nine-count charge of conspiracy and culpable homicide punishable with death contrary to Sections 97 and 221 (a) of the Penal Code.
In the charge marked: FCT/HC/CR/79/05, the prosecution team led by Chief Chris Uche (SAN), called thirteen witnesses and tendered 42 exhibits to prove its case against the defendants.
However, the defence team led by Messrs. Richey Tarfa (SAN) and Mr. Anthony Agbolahor in their final addresses dated November 1, 2016, pleaded with the court to set their clients free as “none of prosecution witnesses stated that the 1st defendant (Danjuma Ibrahim) conspired with the other defendants to commit felony by agreeing to kill Ifeanyi Ozo, Chinedu Meniru, Isaac Ekene and Paul Ogbonna.”
The defence said that the 2nd to 6th defendants were not at Gimbiya Street, Garki, Abuja at the time the deceased traders were shot.
Tarfa also submitted that the 4th defendant (Emmanuel Baba) during his cross-examination, disclosed that he neither met nor took instructions or directives from Danjuma Ibrahim who was the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations in the FCT.
