Iniubong Umoren murder: Suspect say DSS force am to sign confession statement

Di trial of Uduak Akpan for di murder of Iniubong Umoren, di 26-year-old young job seeker wey e allegedly murder for May 2021 for Uyo di Akwa Ibom State capital Southern Nigeria continue for di State High Court Uyo on Tuesday, 15 February 2022.

Di trial continue on Tuesday as di court dey try determine weda or not di prime suspect for di murder trial Uduak-Abasi Akpan voluntarily make confessional statement to di Department of State Services, DSS Uyo wey investigate di mata.

Di accused bin say e sign di confession document under duress.

Di DSS, through dia official, Ama Okeke bin tender one written document as well as video evidence wey show di suspect dey confess say e rape and eventually kill di job seeker during one interrogation by di service, but Uduak Akpan during im testimony and cross examination for court say DSS officials force am to sign di document.

"Dem blindfold me and carry me go room upstairs, and wen I reach dia, Dem hit my back by one of di DSS officials wey command me to sidon. Wen dem uncover me, I realize say na four men dey and dem bring one sheet of paper and ask me to sign, I bin no wan sign as I no know wetin dey inside, but dem slap me and force me to sign and I do am under duress. For di process, I injure and dem carri me to DSS clinic for treatment," Akpan tok.

Afta di cross examination of di DSS official and di suspect by di counsels to di party, di presiding judge Justice Bassey Nkanang adjourn di case till February 24 for conclusion of di trial within trial.

How di mata don go so far

Di tori of Iniubong Umoren break afta her friend declare her missing for social media, afta she respond to one job advert she see on social media.

Her missing and death trend on social media with #JusticeForHinyUmoren.

Police investigation lead to di discovery of her deadibodi and di eventual arrest of Uduak Akpan as di suspected killer and im dey face di murder trial along with im papa and sister.

Di murder trial of Iniubong Umoren begin for July 2021 and di prosecution don bring many witnesses to testify for court how di incident happen.

Wen di murder trial continue on 11 February, 2022, one officer of di Department of State Services, Akwa Ibom State Command, Ama Okeke, tender evidence from dia investigation before di State High Court for Uyo.

Di DSS officer appear for court as di 10th Prosecution Witness and tell di court say di first, second and third accused pesins voluntarily make dia statements on June 3, 2021; June 11, 2021 and September 23, 2021, respectively, come add say dem transfer both di first and second accused pesins to di DSS station, with dia phones wey dem use for detailed analysis.

Okeke testify for court say di first accused person (Uduak-Abasi Akpan) tell di investigation team say Iniubong Umoren refuse to have sex with am and struggle with am and in di process e hit her belle with stabilizer wey make her bleed well well.

"My Lord, di first accused pesin (Uduak-Abasi Akpan) tell our investigation team say Iniubong Umoren refuse to have sex with am and struggle with am. Im tell us say while she bin dey struggle with am, im notice say she send voice note to someone but im no know who she send di voice note to."

Okeke say di first accused pesin also say di deceased repeatedly dey ask if im wan kill her and im tell her say only if she go allow am to have sex with her and she say she go allow am only if im use condom.

“Di first accused pesin also tell di investigation team say in di process of having sex with di deceased, im remove di condom and di deceased start to struggle with am again. Im say while im still dey on top of her, she carry iron hit am for forehead. So in order for di deceased not to shout, he, Uduak-Abasi, come carry one black cloth, chook into her mouth and tie her mouth. Im say im come use a standby stabilizer and hit her for di abdomen.

From dat point, di first accused say di deceased start to bleed well well so im come fear say she don already die.“Di first accused also say im come use di jeans-trouser of di deceased to strangle her completely."

Okeke say, "di first accused say im come step out of di house, go di compound, find space and dig a three-feet grave, and den go back to wia di body of di deceased dey, drag di body with her jeans-trouser wey im tie for her neck to di grave im don dig."Im further tell di investigating team say im wrap her (di deceased) body with one blanket, and with her mouth still tied and with di Jeans for her neck, im bury her for di grave.

Im tell us say dis incident happen between 13:00 (1pm) hours to 20:00 hours (8pm), on di 29th of April, 2021.”

Di DSS witness tell di court say di first accused say afta im bury di deceased for di shallow grave, e go back to where e kill Iniubong Umoren, cleanup di blood and tidy di place so nobody go know wetin happen.

Okeke testify say di first accused tell dem say di second accused person, Frank Akpan, wey be im papa bin no dey around wen dis incident happen.

E say Uduak-Abasi say for di early hours of 30th April, 2021, wen im open im Facebook page, im see news with im picture and dat of late Iniubong Umoren dey trend say na im be di pesin wey kidnap her. Dis na im make am tell im papa say im wan travel go Calabar go meet im sister – di third accused pesin.

"My Lord, di first accused also tell us say im travel to Calabar through Oron, with speed boat, and im carry di bag and phone of di deceased travel.

E (di first accused) say e drop di bag and phone of di deceased for di third accused pesin house. Im also say late Iniubong Umoren no be di first pesin im don lure to im house for Nung Ikono Obio."

Okeke say with di confessional statement of di first accused, im team travel go Calabar, come track and recover di deceased Samsung Galaxy phone, come add say di two pesins wey dem arrest in respect of di phone dey also stand trial.

Di trial Judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, come admit di Samson Galaxy phone wey di prosecution tender as evidence and mark am as Exhibit 13.

Nkanang also admit in evidence, two phones wey belong to di first accused pesin, and two oda Nokia phones wey belong to di 2nd accused pesin; and mark di four phones as Exhibits 14, 15, 16 and 17.

However, wen di prosecution bin wan tender di confessional statement of di first accused pesin in evidence, im lawyer, Samson Adula, raise objection on grounds say im client no make di statement voluntarily.

Justice Nkanang adjourn di case till 15 February 2022, so dem go conduct a trial-within-trial, so as to determine weda or not di suspect make di statement voluntarily.