Justice Benson Ogbuh of an Ebonyi State High Court yesterday sentenced a housewife, Mrs. Josephine Onwuzuruike, and her boyfriend, Ekene Onyeka, to death by hanging. Josephine and Onyeka had in 2008, at Azuiyiokwu in Abakaliki, the state capital butchered her husband and kept his parts inside a cupboard.
Josephine had accused her husband of attempting to marry another wife by building a separate house other than the one they were living. She, therefore, contacted Onyeka who joined her in killing the husband.
Delivering judgment on the case, Ogbuh found the accused guilty of the offence and convicted them. He sentenced them to death by hanging. During trial, Josephine, broke down and wept uncontrollable. She pleaded with the judge to be lenient on her because of her children.
Also yesterday, another state High Court sitting in Abakaliki, sentenced two persons, Onyemachi Oge and Okechukwu Oma, to death by hanging for kidnapping a medical doctor, Dr. Chuka Manyinke.
The duo, alongside Chukwuemeka Levi, Idris Oken, Edeke Desmond and Ijeoma Oge, were accused of kidnapping Manyinke, a doctor of paediatrics at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki on May 5, 2013 at his private hospital located on 15, Owerri Street, Abakaliki. Manyinke’s security guard, identified simply as Peter, was shot dead for attempting to prevent the hoodlums from kidnapping his boss.
The sum of N3 million ransom was paid before the medical doctor was released after six days in captivity.
Onyemachi Oge and Oma got N200,000 from the ransom. Oma, a tailor opposite Manyinke’s hospital, provided information to the kidnappers and gave them directives on how to perfect the act while Onyemachi supplied beer, biscuits and water to the doctor during his days in captivity. All the accused persons have been in prison custody since the incident.
Delivering judgment on the matter yesterday at High Court 3, Justice Eze Udu said the prosecution counsel, I. I. Anikwe, proved his case against Onyemachi Oge the 4th accused and Okechukwu Oma 6th accused beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced them to death by hanging.
He discharged and acquitted the 1st accused (Levi), 2nd accused (Oken), 3rd accused (Desmond) and 4th (Oge).
The judge, however, recommended that the 5th accused (Ijeoma Oge) and her husband, who is still at large, be charged for conspiracy and kidnapping for allowing their house to be used in keeping the victim during the incident. In his reaction, counsel to the 3rd, 4th and 5th accused, D. I. Njoku, said he was already preparing to appeal the judgement against the 4th accused who was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging.
