the accused. R. v. Baskerville (1916) 2 K.B. 658; and Jatau v. Danladi (1995) 8
NWLR (Pt.415) 592/614 - 615 per Orah JCA." Per MUNTAKA-COOMASSIE, J.C.A
(Pp. 16-17, paras. D-C) (...read in context)
9. INTERPRETATION OF STATUTE - SECTION 179 OF THE EVIDENCE ACT CAP 112:
Statutory interpretation of S. 179 of the Evidence Act Cap 112
"S. 179 of the Evidence Act Cap 112 provides:- "(1) Except as provided in this
Section, no particular number of witnesses shall in any case be required for the
proof of any fact. (2)(a) No person charged with treason or with any of the
following mentioned in Sections 40, 41 and 42 of the Criminal Code can be
convicted, except on his own plea of guilty, or on the evidence in open court of
two witnesses at the least to one overt act of the kind of treason' or felony
alleged, or the evidence of one witness, to one overt act and one other witness to
another overt act of he same kind of treason or felony. (b) This Subsection does
not apply to cases in which the overt act of treason alleged is the killing of the
president, or in a direct attempt to endanger the life or injure the person of the
president. (3) A person shall not be convicted of committing perjury, or of
counselling or procuring the commission of perjury, upon the uncorroborated
testimony of one witness, contradicting the oath on which perjury is assigned,
unless circumstances are proved which corroborate such witness. (4) A person
charged under the Road Traffic Law of a State with driving at a speed greater than
the allowed maximum shall not be convicted solely on the evidence of one
witness that in his opinion he was driving at such speed. (5) A person shall not be
convicted of the offences mentioned in paragraph (b) of Subsection (1 of Section