Electronic Evidence "thrashed" in Nigerian Court
Yesterday, the Federal High Court in Lagos with Justice Ahmed Mohammed presiding, rejected the computer printout of a statement of account at the ongoing trial of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. The printout of the statement of account belonging to Chief Fani-Kayode was ruled to be inadmissible when sought to be tendered by a bank manager. Justice Mohammed, in his ruling, said a statement of account produced by way of computer printout was not admissible in evidence under the Sections 97(1)(h) and (2)(e) of the Evidence Act even if the said statement of account was relevant to the proceedings. According to Section 97(1) of the Nigerian Evidence Act, secondary evidence of the details of a bank account can only be given if the document is an entry in a banker's book. Copies cannot be received as evidence unless it be first proved that the book in which the entries copied were made was at the time of making one of the ordinary books of the bank, and that the entry...