Alleged serial killer, Gracious David West, continued his defence on Friday, 21 February led in evidence-in-chief by his lawyer, Vincent Chuku.
David West alleged that SARS operatives threatened him when they took his statement in SARS Office, Rukpokwu.
He said he was earlier taken to Commissioner of Police and from there was brought back to Rukpokwu SARS Unit where they took his statement five days later.
David West said that they took him to a small room to give his statement alleging SARS operatives had threatened to kill him unless he would tell the truth.
He said one Sergeant Ogbomudia took his statement, with other policemen present in the room.
David West said he made statement six times and signed as well saying the statements were read to him.
He said SARS operatives chased away a lawyer who came to see him in SARS Unit Rukpokwu.
Presiding judge of the Port-Harcourt High Court, Honourable Justice Adolphus Enebeli, adjourned the case to 28 February for continuation.
David West is facing trial for alleged murder of women last year in hotels in Port-Harcourt, and other cities in Nigeria.
He faces nine counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
When the charges were read to him, he pleaded not guilty although he earlier pleaded guilty to the nine counts of murder and not guilty to one count of attempted murder.
He was arrested by police along East-West Road on his way to Akwa Ibom State.
David west is first accused in the murder trial.
The second accused, Nimi ThankGod, faces one count charge of misconduct with corpse and had pleaded not guilty.
The prosecuting counsel, Chidi Ekeh, closed his case on Friday, 14 February.
Speaking in an interview, the prosecuting counsel said: “We’ve closed our case because the trial began some months ago and we’ve been calling our witnesses, so today we formally closed the case of the prosecution. We announced to the court that we have closed our case. We don’t have any further witness to bring and so the defence opened its case today with the evidence -in-chief of the PWI who is the first defendant, Gracious David West”.
Counsel to David West, Vincent Chuku, told reporters David West could have been in “different temperament of mind” when he pleaded guilty, and not guilty to the charges.
The Rivers State government took over prosecution of the case from State Police Command.
