Cynthia, a post-graduate student of
Nassarawa State University and only daughter of Maj.-Gen. Frank Osokogu
(retd.), was found dead in a hotel room on July 22, 2012, where some friends
she met on Facebook lodged her.
Lagos State Attorney-General and
Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, who led the prosecution team on behalf
of the state brought Okwumo Nwabufo (33), Olisaeloka Ezike (23), Orji Osita
(33) and Nonso Ezike (25) before Justice Olabisi Akinlade.
Nwabufo and Olisaeloka were charged
with four counts of conspiracy to commit felony, murder and stealing and were
accused of putting Rohypnol Flunitrazepan tablets in Cynthia’s drink, chaining
her hands and strangling her to death at Cosmilla Hotel, Amuwo Odofin, FESTAC
Town, Lagos.
The two were also said to have stolen
three Blackberry phones valued at N150,000, jewelry, passport and driving
licence belonging to the deceased.
Osita, a pharmacist attached to
Oxpham Pharmacy, FESTAC Town, was charged with negligence for selling Rohypnol
Flunitrazepan tablets to Olisaeloka without a doctor’s prescription and failure
to exercise due care while Olisaeloka’s brother, Nonso, was accused of being in
possession of a Bold 5 Blackberry stolen from the deceased.
When the pleas of all the accused
persons were taken, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
After the pleas of the accused
persons were taken, Ipaye began the proceedings and called Ifeyinwa Njebu, the
former hotel receptionist, who was on duty at the time of the incident, as the
first witness.
Njebu, a 2010 Biochemistry graduate
of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, told the court
that she was able to identify the first and second defendants when the footage
of the CCTV camera installed in the hotel was relayed.
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