Apo 6 Killings: Trial Of Cops Stalled Again

The trial of six policemen accused of killing six Abuja auto-spare parts dealers in 2005 suffered another setback on Wednesday, as counsel to one of the accused was absent.

Five young men, identified as traders at Apo Mechanic Village and their girl friend, were killed by the police on June 8, 2005, around Gimbia Street, Area 11, Abuja.

The accused persons had claimed that the deceased were robbers, but following a popular outcry by concerned citizens and the civil society against the killings, which they saw as extra-judicial, the Police High Command probed the matter.

It found the police officers culpable and undertook to exhume the corpses of the deceased which were hurriedly buried after they were cut down.

The command also bore the expenses for the normal burial of the victims at their individual home towns.

The Federal Government also set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Olasunbo Goodluck.

The commission also ruled that the police officers had a case to answer, hence their prosecution at the High Court.

Those standing trial include, DCP Danjuma Ibrahim,

ASP Othman Abdulsalami (still at large), Nicholas Zackaria, Emmanuel Baba, Sadiq Salami and Ezekiel Acheneje.

They were alleged to have been responsible for the death of Messrs. Anthony Nwokike, Chinedu Meniru, Ifeanyi Ozo, Isaac Ekene, Paul Ogbona and Miss Tina Arebun, all traders of the popular Apo market, Abuja.

Disappointed by the absence of Acheneje’s counsel, Justice Ishaq Bello, ordered the Legal Aid Council to engage another lawyer for Acheneje to appear on March 17.

Bello warned the fifth accused person to desist from “firing and sacking’’ his counsel.

“This is the second time since we resumed this year that you have sacked your counsel. I remember before now, the Legal Aid Council engaged the services of Mr. Olu Otitoju to defend you but you fired him after two months.

“By the next adjourned date, if you do not get a lawyer, I will severe you from this trial so that you can stand trial alone.

“I will not accept this unnecessary stalling of the trial,” he warned.

Justice Bello subsequently adjourned the case till March 17.

Earlier, Prosecution counsel, Malam Mohammed Usman (SAN) had prayed the court to grant him an opportunity to severe the fifth accused person from the trial so that the prosecution can continue with its case.

“My Lord, he has done it again. The action by the fifth accused person will surely delay this case,” he said.

Ibrahim’s counsel, Chief Ricky Tarfa (SAN),aligned himself with the submission of Malam Usman’s submission that the fifth accused be severed from the trial.