Court accepts video evidence in Benue killings trial
The Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted a video recording as evidence in the trial of suspects accused of killings in Benue State. The prosecution, represented by Mariam Okorie, presented the compact disc containing the defendants’ statements, which was played in open court. The footage included confessions and details about losses suffered by the defendants, as well as their alleged motivations. The proceedings also saw concerns raised about the accuracy of the court interpreter, leading to their discharge.
What we know
- The prosecution presented a compact disc with video statements of the defendants, which was admitted as evidence and marked as Exhibit TWT1.
- In the video, Haruna Abdullahi described losing about 100 cows and two children, and said he contributed N300,000 at a meeting called by an Ardo to seek revenge.
- Abdullahi claimed he previously owned an AK-47 rifle but had sold it, and alleged that Tiv youths were responsible for attacks on Fulani herders.
- The court interpreter was discharged after defence counsel Ahmed Muhammad raised concerns about the translation of Hausa-language recordings.
- The trial had previously been delayed after Abdullahi collapsed in court and due to technical issues with the video evidence.
