Suspected killers of Dariye’s father admit offence under duress – Witness

Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos

Danjuma Maren, a witness in the ongoing murder case of the father of the former governor of Plateau state, Chief Joshua Dariye, on Friday told the presiding Judge of State High Court, West of Mines, Jos, Justice Kamyal D.G that the suspected killers of the ex-governor’s father admitted their office after they were tortured by the police.

The witness while testifying at the court, alleged that all the suspects, including the prime suspect, Chief Jethro, were also severely wounded by the IPO handling the case, Joseph Olarju, and other officers when they were brought to the police area command at Old panteka, in Kaduna State.

According to the witness, he was arrested for a different offence and taken to the said police area command in July 2021 and he was still in detention when the suspects arrested in connection with Dariye’s father were brought.

He told the court that the suspects were brought to the detention centre in Kaduna, and saw when they were tied with their hands and legs backwards and a tyre and stone placed on their back to make them accept a written statement by the IPO.

While giving the testimony, the witness was asked to identify the injuries sustained by the suspects and he opened the clothes of each of the suspects showing the judge the wounds sustained during the torture.

However, the IPO told the court that the suspects volunteered their statement without any torture, a claim that the witness denied.