Judge orders Prosecuting Counsel To Reach Out To Police Over Suspect’s N60,000 Allegedly Held
Presiding Judge of Port-Harcourt High Court, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, has ordered prosecuting counsel in murder trial of alleged serial killer Gracious David West to reach out to police and find out about N60,000 belonging to alleged serial killer presumably held by them.
Justice Enebeli gave the order after counsel to David West, Vincent Chukwu, reminded the court of the money belonging to his client allegedly held by police at the time he was arrested.
David West was arrested for allegedly killing women in different hotels in Port-Harcourt and other cities in Nigeria.
On Wednesday’s sitting, the judge said he would ask the defence counsel to make application at next hearing depending on outcome over the money allegedly held by the police.
The prosecuting counsel, Chidi Ekeh, had told the court exhibits provided by the police did not include cash.
Hearing of the case could not go on on Wednessday because prosecuting counsel could not bring witnesses to court to testify.
Ekeh who apologized to the court said he would get the witnesses to testify against the alleged serial killer on the next adjourned dates. He has so far called seven witnesses.
Justice Enebeli adjourned the case to 10, 17, 24 and 31 January for prosecution witnesses to testify.
The Rivers State government took over murder trial of David West from the State Police Command on 22 October, 2019, according to Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Zacchaeus Adangor, and filed fresh charges against the accused serial killer and a second accused person, Nimi ThankGod.
David West, first accused person in the case, and Nimi ThankGod were both in court on Wednesday. He was brought handcuffed to court on Wednesday and was in green-colour prison uniform.
He faces nine counts of murder and one count of attempted murder and had pleaded not guilty to all charges when they were read although at a previous court sitting he pleaded guilty to same charges.
The second accused person, Nimi ThankGod, a lady, faces one-count charge of misconduct with corpse and was granted bail in an earlier sitting.
David West was arrested on 19 September, 2019 along East-West Road on his way to Akwa Ibom State. He was alleged to have killed 17 women in different hotels in Port-Harcourt and other cities in Nigeria, according to statement released by Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers State, DSP Nnamdi Omoni.
The accused serial killer was arraigned on 21 October, 2019 before Justice Adolphus Enebeli of Port-Harcourt High Court in charge number PHC/3426/CR/2019 between Inspector-General of Police and Gracious David West and the case was later taken over by Rivers State government.
Before his arrest, Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, CP Mustapha Dandaura, had said the State Police Command would deal with problem of serial killing in the state.
The police boss described the killings as having “element of cultism” saying that the same method had been used by perpetrator of the crime.
Witnesses who testified against David West in court identified him as one who allegedly committed crime in their hotels.
