Court Orders Trial-Within –Trial As Suspect Disowns Statement

Court Orders Trial-Within –Trial As Suspect Disowns Statement

Justice M. L Abubakar of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, River state has adjourned further hearing in the fraud charge brought against one Etakewen Lucky Ovie by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to June 29 for trial- within- trial. This followed the defendant’s claim that the statement he made to the Commission was extracted by force.
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Ovie, who was arraigned on June 11, 2020, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to a two- count charge bordering on identity theft and impersonation contrary to Section 12 (1) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 and punishable under same Section of the same Act.