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Sections News Editorial/Opinion Cover Choice Arts & Life Business Politics Sports   Subscription Form Click here          Daily Independent Online.         * Friday, July 23, 2004. Assassination of Igwes was an error - Defence counsel By Okey Maduforo, Correspondent, Awka   The late Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Onitsha branch, Mr. Barnabas Igwe and his wife were murdered in error, defence counsel to the seventh accused person in the murder trial, Mr. Sam Onyia, told the Aguata High Court in Ekwulobia on Thursday. Onyia stated this while cross examining prosecuting witness 11, Mr. Peter Obiora, explaining that it could be deducted from a statement made to the police by the President-General of the Anambra State Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA), Mr. Emeka Asoanya, over the allegation that the Igwes were killed by assailants who were sponsored from Delta State. “According to the statement, problem broke out between the assailants and the person who allegedly procured the commission of the crime when they went back to him for their balance and were told that they murdered the wrong person,” he said. Onyia also asked the prosecution witness 11 if he knew that the sponsor of the killing had no common interest with the then governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, the witness answered to the negative. The defence counsel added that Asoanya made the said statement as a suspect and not as a witness, adding that the statement was made with caution. Also in his cross-examination, defence counsel to former Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ken Emeaka, Chief Tochukwu Onwugbuto (SAN) told the court that the prosecuting witness 11 gave conflicting statements to the police. He argued that between September 2002 and January 2003, the prosecuting witness wrote two different statements alleging that he never knew what the late Igwe was told on phone, but later said on January 9, 2003 that late Igwe was threatened by unknown callers. “Obiora, I put it to you that the second statement you made to the police was an after thought when the Onitsha NBA met and discovered that your earlier statement was inefficient for their plan,” he said. Obiora however, said his second statement of January 2003 was made to clarify issues and not as an after thought, adding that late Igwe did not report the threatening phone calls he received to the police but the state security services were informed. Counsel for the prosecution, Mr. E.D. Chukwu however applied for adjournment, which the judge, Mrs. Cecilia Uzowulu accepted and adjourned.       Copyright� 2002. All Rights Reserved Independent Newspapers Limited Block5, Plot 7D, Wempco Road, Ogba, P.M.B. 21777, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. www.independentng.com e-mail: [email protected]

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