20-year-old suspect in the murder of a UNIJOS student turns completely deaf in court
A 300-level student of UNIJOS Jennifer Anthony was murdered in January 2022, and Moses Oko, a 20-year-old man from Jos, was arrested and charged with her murder. However, in a new twist, when Moses Oko was carried into the witness box to begin his trial, he was said to have gone deaf and silent in court.
Moses was apprehended on January 12, 2022, when the beheaded body of Jenifer, who was believed to be his lover, was discovered in a hotel room with important parts of her body missing. Jenifer’s decapitated body was discovered in a hotel room with vital portions of her body missing.
In the investigation, it was discovered that the dead had been led to a hotel by the suspect, who drugged her and then proceeded to kill her for what was believed to be ritualistic reasons.
Following his arraignment at the Plateau State High Court, which was presided over by Hon. Justice S. P. Gang, the suspect, who is also a student at the University of Jos, was claimed to have behaved dumb and incoherent when taken to the witness stand, according to witnesses.
The correctional officer who took him to the courtroom said that he refused to go by himself because he appeared unable to grasp what was going on, and that he had to be assisted by another officer to the witness box.
Upon entering the witness box, the court clerk called his name to ascertain whether the defendant understood the English or Hausa languages so that he could be instructed on how to administer the oath on his behalf, but he did not respond and instead continued to stare at the court without saying anything. Everyone was perplexed by the dramatic situation, which included the court clerk calling him numerous times but receiving no response.
When asked why his client was not mentally stable, the lawyer for the suspect stated that it was because the weight of the allegations brought against him was too much for him to handle. While arguing that Moses’s medical record demonstrated he was of sound mind, the prosecution stated that he had just recently been observed talking with his parents and lawyer in the English language before his case was put up for trial.
The case was postponed to the 3rd and 4th of March, 2022.
