the house that the witness sold, was sold to one Mohammed
Umar Yahaya. The witness did not give evidence as to who
Mohammed Umar Yahaya is or whether Mohammed Umar
Yahaya is the same with Umar Yahaya. This gap cannot be
bridged by the court as the court is being prohibited from
speculating. Secondly while the document sought to be
tendered relates to the sale of a house at Bado Quarters,
Sokoto, they amended charge relates to unit of houses at
Bado Area, Sokoto. There is a world of difference between a
house and unit of houses, this gap cannot also be bridged by
the court. By Section 89 (c) of the Evidence Act, 2011 where
the secondary evidence of a document is sought to be
tendered is sought to be tendered on grounds of lost of the
original, then foundation must be led through the evidence of
a witness showing the conduct of all possible search of the
original and the abortive result to justify the admission of the
secondary evidence.
On the whole since the charge relates to unit of houses and
the document sought to be tendered relates to a house as well
as the fact that evidence was not led explaining who is
Mohammed Umar Yahaya in content with Umar Yahaya
mentioned by the witness, the document sought to be
tendered even if appears to in relation to a sale transaction of
a house at Bado, it is completely foreign to the charge and the
evidence of PW2.
According the document tilted “sale agreement between Alhaji
Hamza Sidi Mamman Assarakawa and Mohammed Umar
Yahaya in respect of the sale of a house at Bado Quarters Sokoto,
Sokoto State” sought to be tendered by the prosecution, is
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