Nigerian Brothers At The Center Of Jussie Smollett Case Refuses To Testify Against Him

Key witnesses in the Jussie Smollett case the Osundairo brothers who told police they helped the actor stage a hoax hate crime on himself last year no longer intend to cooperate with Smollett’s prosecution, according to a letter from their lawyer.

jussie smollet insists,demands chicago's lawsuit droppedThis new development in the strange Smollett saga comes from a dispute over property the police raided from the brothers’ home in the early stages of the investigation, when Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo were treated as suspects rather than witnesses.

The brothers’ attorney has asked for the return of those belongings, including several firearms, ammunition and magazines, but the process has become a paperwork nightmare, according to the letter from their attorney, Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez, and addressed to a Chicago Police Department lawyer.

CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 14: Actor Jussie Smollett arrives at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on March 14, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Smollett stands accused of arranging a homophobic, racist attack against himself in an attempt to raise his profile because he was dissatisfied with his salary on the Fox television drama “Empire.” (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

“I hope this effort from your office and your clients was worth it because my clients are advising that whether they receive their items or not, they will no longer be cooperating with the prosecution of Mr. Smollett,” Schmidt Rodriguez wrote. The brothers are top witnesses in the case against Smollett. Their statement to police turned the onetime Empire actor from victim to suspect, launching a high-profile case that has seen roller-coaster twists since Jussie Smollett was first charged last year.

Schmidt Rodriguez said the brothers felt disrespected and frustrated with the process of getting their belongings back, to the point where they are no longer interested in helping prosecutors in Smollett’s case. “(The brothers) were, like ‘Gloria, we’ve had it, we’ve been so patient. “Everything we’ve provided the office is without subpoena … Instagram messages, social media posts, phone records, whatever it (prosecutors have) needed, and wanted, they’ve produced. That ends now. We’ve obviously been too accessible for them.”
Photo Credit: Getty

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