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| The four suspects arraigned today in Lagos. Inset: The late Cynthia. |
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| From left Orji Osita; Nwadiokor Chukwunonso, Suspected pharmacists; Okwumo Echezona Nwabufo and Ezike ilechukwu Olisaeloka, Suspected murderers of Late Miss Cynthia Osokogu at the Yaba magistrate Court, Lagos yesterday. photo by Lamidi Bamidele |
They were slammed with an eight-count charge of murder, armed robbery, administering the late Cynthia with obnoxious substance known as Rohyenol via Ribena fruit drink, among others.
According to the charge, the suspects also had unlawful sexual intercourse with the victim without her consent.
Their plea was not taken. The court ordered that they should be remanded in prison custody and their file duplicated for DPP’s advice.
The matter was adjourned till 3 October, 2012.
Cynthia Osokogu, the only daughter of retired Major Frank Osokogu, was a post graduate student and boutique owner based in Nassarawa State.
She met the undergraduates, who later murdered her, through social networking site Facebook.
The principal suspects, Ezike Ilechukwu Olisaeloka, 23, and Okwumo Echezona Nwabufor, 33, confessed to the police that they lured her to Lagos from her base in Nassarawa State under the pretext that they are also into clothing business.
After receiving her at the Murtala Muhammed airport in Lagos, they took her to a hotel in Festac Town.
Eloka said they later put Rohyenol tablet in her Ribena drink and slept with her for about 12 hours.
After discovering that Cynthia did not have a lot of money on her as they earlier presumed, they raped her for 12 hours and later strangled her.
Following the arrest and subsequent parade of Olisaeloka and his cousin, Nwabufor, over the murder of Cynthia, three more ladies came forward, saying they were once victims of the alleged murderers.
The three women reportedly went to Festac Police Command to write a statement about how they were drugged, raped and robbed by the suspects now facing trial.
