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DOCUMENTS ATTACHED TO A CHARGE NOT TENDERED AND ADMITTED ARE NOT EVIDENCE

Dictum

Eze v. State (2026): ‘From the above excerpts, if the alleged Police Report were tendered in evidence it would not have been unfavourable to the prosecution. Therefore, section 167(d) of the Evidence Act, 2011 is inapplicable to this case. I must quickly point out that documents or statements accompanying a charge or an information filed in court, if not tendered and admitted in evidence at the trial, does not constitute evidence which the court can rely on.’

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It is elementary law that parties are bound by their pleadings and facts not pleaded will go to no issue. In other words, evidence on facts not pleaded will not avail the party relying on the evidence. – Niki Tobi JSC. Okonkwo v. Cooperative Bank (2003) Was this dictum helpful? Yes 1 No 0...

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PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE WHETHER NEW EVIDENCE SHOULD BE ALLOWED

In Comfort Asaboro v. M.G.D. Aruwaji and Anor. (1974) 4 SC 87 at 90-91 (Reprint) this court had cause to consider the principles which are to be taken into consideration in an application to call additional evidence on appeal. The court per Coker JSC said:- “The decision also evidently applied the principles which time honoured...

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However the conflict is not strong to hold his evidence is of no value when the documentary evidence speaks for itself. It is trite the best evidence to challenge documentary evidence is same Documentary evidence. – Nwodo, JCA. OLAM v. Intercontinental Bank (2009) Was this dictum helpful? Yes 0 No 0...

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