Zonal Land Office. DW5 identified exhibit 5 and testified that
exhibit 5 was said to be purportedly signed by him. He testified
that exhibit 5 did not carry the format used and that the
characters are different and that the assessment did not carry
any date. He further testified that they usually work on
Mondays to Fridays and that exhibit 5 the assessment
emanated from his office and that the document was signed by
him. He testified however that exhibit 13 dated 13th November,
2005 falls on a Sunday. The 2005 Calendar Year was then
received in evidence as exhibit 19.
The final witness called by the 1st Defendant pursuant to a
subpoena was Sgt. Sabo Yakubu. He testified as DW7.
According to DW7, he was the Investigating Police Officer in
the case between C.O.P V Nsungusi Effiong. The certified true
copy of the record of proceedings of Senior Magistrate Court
Karu and the letter of Abuja Municipal Area Council were
received in evidence through DW7 as exhibits 20 and 21
respectively.
The 2nd Defendant, Lugard Edigbe testified on his behalf as
DW6. He testified that he was posted to Abuja Municipal Area
Council in July, 1997 to head the Zonal Land Office. He also
testified that the 1st Defendant was a staff under the Zonal
Office and he worked under him. DW6 testified that he has no
personal relationship with the 1st Defendant or his relations
except purely official work. He stated that he did not conspire
with the 1st Defendant to alter the allocation in favour of the 1st
Defendant’s relations, Pax Education Resource Limited. DW6
testified that as the Zonal Manager of Abuja Municipal Area
Council he did not allocated or influenced the allocation of land
to anybody and that as the Zonal Manager then, he has to
obtain the approval of the Minister Federal Capital Territory
first to create a lay-out and this was done by Surveyors before
submitting to the Land Allocation Committee and then compiled
list of Applicants considered by the Committee. DW6 testified
that after the Committee’s recommendation, the list of
Applicants were sent to the Director Lands for onward
submission to the Minister Federal Capital Territory for
approval. According to DW6 he will then convey approval of
grant to the Allottees.
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