Three more arraigned over Cynthia’s murder

Three more suspects were arraigned yesterday in a Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Yaba over the alleged murder of Cynthia Osokogu aged 24.

She was allegedly killed after being drugged and raped at Room No. C1, Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Festac Town, in Lagos on July 22.

Okwumo Nwabufo, 33; Ezike Olisaeloka, 23; Orji Osita, 32; and Maduakor Chukwunonso, 25 had earlier been arraigned on an eight-count charge.

But yesterday, a taxi driver, Gideon Okechukwu, 39, along with one Ezike Nonso Ifechukwu, 22, and Ezeaka Chinonso, 27, were arraigned before Magistrate O. S. Aka Bashorun.

Okechukwu was arraigned in a separate charge from the other two suspects.

In charge No- TA/59/2012, Okechukwu is facing an eight-count charge of felony, conspiracy, robbery and murder among others.

In the charge preferred against him, he allegedly drove the suspected killers in his car out of the hotel.

According to Police Prosecutor, Ag SP, Chukwu Agu, the defendant, Okechukwu, conspired with others already charged to court on July 21 at the hotel conspired to murder and rape the deceased.

The prosecutor told the court that Okechukwu also conspired with them to kill Cynthia by administering her with obnoxious substance known as Rohypol Flunitrazepam tablets through a fruit juice drink.

The suspect was also said to have joined them in binding Cynthia’s hands with chain, padlock and cellotape her legs, neck and mouth, giving her fist blows all over her body, giving her several human bites, torture and strangled her to death.

Okechukwu, allegedly armed with offensive weapons, was said to have robbed Cynthia of her Blackberry handset, Bold 5 model, International Passport with No- AO1249397 Dated July 3, 2009, National Driver’s Licence with No- GRE0002AA, dated March 15, 2010, a pair of shoes, hand bag, artificial sex toy (vibrator), jewelry pack containing three wrist watches, four rings, three pairs of earrings, one pendant, one necklace, hand chain and a single earring.

The values of the property were yet to be ascertained.

Besides, he was alleged to have joined the earlier suspects to unlawfully have sexual intercourse with Cynthia without her consent.

Meanwhile, the Osokogu family has announced that the body of Cynthia Osokogu would be interred on October 5 if no other reason arises for postponement.

Earlier, a funeral mass was held for the deceased, but the body in question was not buried.

However Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Osokogu, who spoke on behalf of the family, gave reasons for the delay.

He said: “The police had not called the family in respect to collecting the body. The case is still at the Magistrate Court. The second hearing is slated for October 3 and we believe that the case would be transferred to the High Court; afterwards the police could seek for permission to release the body for burial. We are not in a hurry to bury her, as justice must take its full course

“The family had resolved to fix the new date Friday October 5 if all go as planned.”

The family also used the opportunity to debunk rumours alleging that they had abandoned the body of Cynthia in the morgue.