Four journalists standing trial in a defamation and cyberstalking case filed by Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) have testified before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, alleging that the police coerced them into writing statements without legal representation.
The journalists, Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami, revealed during the trial of suit number FHC/L/774C/2024 that the police threatened to deny them custody leave unless they complied.
The journalists were arrested in September 2024 by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) following a petition by GTCO, accusing them of defamation and cyberstalking. During the trial, the defendants insisted that their repeated requests to consult with their lawyers were denied by the police.
“We were forced to write under duress,”the journalists disclosed, challenging the integrity of their statements.
The defence legal team, led by Barr. Olakunle Afolabi and Adebisi Adeniyi, objected to the admittance of the statements as evidence.
They argued that the statements were obtained involuntarily and under coercion, violating their clients’ legal rights.
During cross-examination, ASP Yaqoub Sule, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), admitted that the journalists wrote their statements without their legal representatives present.
However, he asserted that the statements were made in a “conducive environment,” and claimed the journalists informed the police that their lawyers were on their way.
In his ruling, Justice Ayokunle Faji adjourned the case to Friday, October 25, and instructed both parties to present further evidence to validate their claims.
This trial coincides with mounting scrutiny on GTCO and its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Segun Agbaje.
The House of Representatives recently launched an investigation into allegations of corruption, falsification of financial reports, and money laundering against Mr. Agbaje and GTCO, following a petition presented by Hon. Nnamdi Ezechi from Delta State on behalf of Alhaji Yusuf Kabiru, President of the Arewa Consultative Youth Movement.
Additionally, the House Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Bamidele Salam, has directed GTCO to calculate and remit Value Added Tax (VAT) on commissions received from Remita transactions between 2015 and 2022.
During the investigation into alleged revenue leakages, GTCO’s Executive Director, Ahmed Liman, admitted that the bank had not remitted VAT for eight years.
The case has attracted further attention after a non-governmental organization, Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), called for a legislative probe into alleged financial irregularities at the bank.
The group claimed that under Agbaje’s leadership, GTCO engaged in practices including round-tripping, money laundering, and using customers’ funds to pay penalties in the UK.
