Drama in court as witness denies death threat allegation

By DAUD OLAJUNJI, Abeokuta
There was a mild drama yesterday at the on-going trial of the former governor of Ogun state Otunba Gbenga Daniel   when a  principal prosecution witness Mr. Babatunde Adeluola who was  brought to court  by Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, denied the claim by the commission  that his life  was being threatened by the acussed person.

Contrary to the expectation that  Adeluola, a Business Development Manager with the Skye Bank Plc, would confirm the EFCC’s claim that his life was in danger, the witness caused stir in court when he  told Justice Olanrewaju Mabekoje of the Abeokuta High Court during the continuation of the hearing of the corruption charges preferred against Daniel by the

EFCC that his absence from court during the last adjourned date was due to ill health and not threats from any one.
The EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, had on June 5 informed the court that Adeluola was absent because he had received threat messages after the last hearing on May 7.

Jacobs had also claimed that the witness was ill by tendering a medical report to support his claim.

But while being cross-examined on Friday by Daniel’s lead counsel, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, the principal prosecution witness denied that the former governor who is currently standing trial on a 38-count charge of alleged stealing, false declaration of assets and fraudulent conversion of lands, threatened his life.

Responding to Osipitan’s question on   whether he had been threatened by anyone over the matter, Adeluola insisted saying  “no, I was only ill the last time”.

The EFCC lead counsel at this stage however objected to further examination of the witness by Daniel’s counsel on the alleged threat to his life.

Jacobs said “he (Osipitan) cannot be cross-examining him.

We did not say the accused was threatening the witness. That was not the word we used”.

Justice Mabekoje  however ruled that the prosecution should lodge a formal complaint at the Ibara Divisional Police Station, Abeokuta on the alleged threat to the life of the witness instead of  wasting the time of the court on the issue.
Justice Mabekoje also ordered that the police should make their findings available to the court through Certified True Copy of the reports of its investigations into the alleged threat to the life of the witness.
”In order not to cause unnecessary delay, no further enquiry would be made on this at this stage with regard to the allegations and counter-allegations by the prosecution and the defence as to the allegation of threat to life by the witness on May 7.

“It is hereby ordered that the prosecution should make formal complaint to the police at Ibara and the IPO should make the findings known to the court through the Certified True Copy,” he said.