Evans claimed to have heard, from inside the toilet where he was allegedly locked up, how Falana and the Lagos Coordinator of the Inspector-General of Police Response Team, one CSP Phillip, exchanged pleasantries upon the lawyer’s arrival at Phillip’s office.
He said after being told that he had been taken out for investigation, Falana warned the Police not to come back and claim that the suspect had been shot while trying to escape.
Led in evidence by his lawyer, Mr. Olanrewaju Ajanaku, Evans, who was all tears, insisted that he was forced to put his signature to an already prepared confessional statement by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad who had allegedly murdered several suspects in his presence “in Saddam Hussein style.”
He said, “Immediately after my arrest, my wife called Mr. Femi Falana and he came to SARS.
“But CSP Phillip told two armed policemen to hide me inside the office toilet and to tell the lawyer that I was not around.
“I heard Phillip greet him, ‘Good afternoon, sir,’ and Mr. Falana said he wanted to see me. CSP Phillip told Mr. Falana that I had been taken out for investigation.
“Mr. Falana warned him that he did not want to hear that I had been taken for investigation only to be shot dead.
“He said he didn’t want to hear that I was trying to escape and then I was shot dead. He told them that if I had committed any offence, I should be charged to court.”
Under cross-examination by the prosecuting counsel for the state, Mr. Y.G. Oshoala, Evans maintained that his statement was not voluntarily made.
Justice Akintoye adjourned further proceedings in the case till December 10.
