- Okoro V. State (Supra)
- Section 40 (1) Evidence Act, 2011.
Explaining the legal status of a dying declaration, the
Apex Court in the case of Okereke V. State (2016)
LPELR 40012 at 37-38 paras F-C, held as follows:“A dying declaration is an exception to the
hearsay rule. It is a declaration of someone at
the point of death, whose hope of life is gone,
when the motive for falsehood is no longer
there and the mind is compelled by the most
powerful consideration of the impending
unknown to speak the truth.”
- Chukwuemeke Ezeuko V. State (2016) LPELR
41046.
In consideration of all the foregoing, it is the humble
view and finding of this court that at the time the
deceased Ahmad Abubakar’s declaration, he was no
doubt in danger of approaching death, and his hope
of life, appeared to have gone and the motive of
falsehood is no longer there as his mind also appeared
to have been compelled by the most powerful
consideration of the impending unknown to speak the
truth.
I
therefore
admit
Ahmad
Abubakar’s
(deceased) statement to PW1 and Pw2 in evidence as
a dying declaration.
Although
the
defence
urged
the
court
to
discountenanced with Exhibits B and B1 which is the
Hausa and English translated versions of the
defendant’s extra-judicial statement as same was not
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