A staff of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Kwara State, at the weekend said the confessional statements of the suspects in the ongoing trial of the alleged rape and murder of Miss Blessing Olajide, a 300L Agricultural Science student of University of Ilorin, were not obtained through duress.
During the continuation of the trial at the Kwara State High Court at the weekend, the Legal Aid official, Barrister A. A Jimoh, contradicted the defence counsel’s claim that the statements were obtained under compulsion.
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She was in court as part of the witnesses listed by the prosecutor to ascertain the legality of the defendants’ confessional statements obtained in the custody of the DSS.
But while in the witness box, Barrister Jimoh said she endorsed the confessional statements, adding that they were obtained without oppression as against the argument of the defence.
“I interviewed the defendants in order to ascertain that they made their confession without intimidation from DSS operatives of which they affirmed that they made the confession without intimidation whatsoever,” Jimoh said.
Justice Adebayo Yusuf later adjourned the case to September 27, 2021 for continuation of hearing.