LAW AND CASES: Trial in Emeka Ugwuonye’s case opened with the testimony of David Aiyedogbon

The much awaited trial in the ten-count case, which the police filed against Emeka Ugwuonye, Founder of a leading Human Rights and Justice movement in Nigeria (DPA) finally got underway yesterday in Abuja at the High Court for the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Gudu, Abuja. The police prosecutor put into the witness box their star witness. He testified in chief about the publications on DPA Facebook handle which accused him of involvement in his wife’s disappearance and presumed death. Everybody waited to hear David give testimony to show he had no hand in his fate. But surprisingly, he was more interested in trying to show that he was not caught. Much of the testimony was on what was published, and he could not give any testimony to show that what was published was false. Despite the hand signals that his aides in the persons of Daniel Obiora and one man in blue jacket were giving him from the gallery, Aiyedogbon failed to show which part of the publication was false. In the witness box, Aiyedogbon exuded the confidence of a man assured of the protection of the police. With two years of knowing that the police have been his friends and protector, he seemed to have ignored what mattered the most – did you play any role in what happened to Chacha? Forget what was published or by whom: is any of that true? The cross-examination of David will continue in two weeks. The court was ready to continue next week, but the police prosecutor did all he could to push for a further date obviously to prolong Emeka’s detention pending trial, which is one thing they are expecting to achieve. The court repeatedly warned the prosecutor that no undue delay will be tolerated given that Emeka is in custody. On his own part, Emeka was totally undisturbed about being in custody. He put it thus: “No price is too much for finding what happened to Chacha. Some time in prison is not too much a price to pay for the truth of what happened. All I want is for the world to know that DPA will go all the way to seek justice for a woman that suffered so much marital abuse and ended up dead in the strangest circumstances. Chacha’s right to life, which is the most important life was taken away. DPA will bear any cross, climb any mountain, swim across any ocean and trek across the Sahara desert to find justice and truth for her”. Trial continues in two weeks time. Effort is underway to revisit the issues of bail and release for Emeka Ugwuonye pending trial.