Receptionist admits lying to police over Cynthia

Cynthia and the suspects.

The receptionist of the hotel where Cynthia Osokogu was allegedly murdered by her Facebook friends, on Friday, confessed at a Lagos High Court, Ikeja that she lied in two of her three statements to the police.

Miss Vivian Amuneke had, after the incident, which occurred on July 22, 2012, ceased to be the receptionist at Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, FESTAC Town, Lagos.

Led in evidence by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, Amuneke said she lied to the police after the deceased’s body was discovered in one of the hotel rooms.

The 28-year-old witness explained that the room was earlier booked by a couple who had checked out earlier but she gave it out to two of the defendants instead of declaring it vacant to the hotel management.

Amuneke was testifying at the resumed trial of four men alleged to be connected with the murder.

She said, “I wrote three different statements and it was only in the third statement that I finally told the truth.

“I told them this because I was scared, but the truth is that I resold the room and failed to remit the money into the hotel’s account.”

The defendants, who were arraigned on February 8 before Justice Olabisi Akinlade, are Okwumo Nwabufo (33), Olisaeloka Ezike (23), Orji Osita (33) and Ezike Nonso (25).

Nwabufo and Ezike are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder of the deceased.

Osita, the pharmacist and the third defendant in the suit, was charged with negligently selling Rohypnol Flunitrazepan tablets, which were allegedly used to drug the deceased, to Ezike.

Nonso, the man who allegedly bought Osokogu’s stolen Blackberry Bold 5 cell-phone, was charged with being in possession of a stolen property. The prosecution alleged that 25-year-old Osokogu was murdered in the hotel on July 22, 2012 by Nwabufo and Ezike, whom she had met through a social network site, Facebook.

She said, “The money paid by the second defendant (Ezike) who gave his name to me as John, was shared by me and the porter, Oscar.

“Since the room has already been paid for by the couple who left, I issued a used receipt to the second defendant.” Defence lawyers, Messrs Victor Opara and Olukayode Dada, however, urged the court to dismiss her testimony because she was not a credible witness, referring to her as “a serial liar.”

The trial judge had earlier dismissed an application filed by Ezike, asking the court to stay further proceedings of the trial pending the Court of Appeal’s hearing and determination of his appeal against the court’s ruling.

Akinlade held that granting such an application was expressly forbidden by Section 273 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State.

The matter was adjourned till March 22 for continuation of trial.

PUNCH