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By Madu Obi
The case of the alleged defrauding of a 23 year- old Anambra orphan and mother of four, Miss Victoria Mbachu of her inherited property worth N10m at Nnobi in Idemili South local government area of the state, took a different dimension yesterday when it was observed in court that the two statements made by the complainant in the matter, Mr Bonaventure Ezekwenna, were missing.
When Ezekwenna was being cross-examined by the defense council, C.N. Ndife, the third statement he made at the Force Headquarters following an allegation against him by the first defendant, Mr. Chijioke Okaa, a native doctor, was produced, while the two statements he made earlier concerning the purchase of the controversial land, could not be produced.
Okaa and an indigene of Benin Republic, who is a bricklayer at Nnobi, Olufemi Salako, are facing trial for defrauding Mbachu of her property by tricking her to pat with the documents of the property after promising that they would build a house for her.
The complainant told the court yesterday that he made two statements at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Lagos and at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Alagbon, before the third one following a complaint against him by Okaa.
The police prosecutor, Ifeanyi Eze, however, told the court that the case file was transferred to Anambra State from the Force Headquarters, adding that it was that file that he was using to prosecute the matter.
Answering questions from the defense council, Ezekwenna said he took possession of the said property in September, 2021after paying Mbachu the sum of N10m through N9.8 million bank draft and N200,000 cash.
Evidence of the payment was admitted as exhibits yesterday in court.
Recall that in the suit, 'Commissioner of Police vs Chijioke Peter Okaa and Olufemi Salako', the prosecution had alleged that Okaa and Salako had sometime within the months of July 2020 and October, 2021 at Nnobi did attempt to commit felony by inducing Miss Nzube Victoria Mbachu, an orphan, to change a title document of her land in favour of Okaa.
Salako and Okaa were also accused of conspiring to promise Nzube that Okaa would build a house for her and relocate her and her children from her family compound and provide more money to her.
The presiding Chief Magistrate, Ken Nwoye adjourned the matter to August 11, 2023 for further hearing.
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