PORT HARCOURT— A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has convicted and sentenced five people to death by hanging or by lethal injection until they are confirmed dead.
The verdict came following the prosecution and sentencing of the five convicts over the murder of the Omudioga Security Planning and Advisory Committee, OSPAC, Commander of Omudioga community in Emohua Local Government Area of the state, Umezuruike Alex.
The victim, Umezuruike Alex, was in 2021 killed, beheaded and dismembered by cultists.
The police had commenced investigation into the killing and arrested six people in connection with the crime. They were prosecuted by the police.
The convicts, Okechukwu Orji from Atali Community, Obio/Akpor LGA; Igwe Promise, Iheanyi Igwe, Morrison Igwe from Omudioga in Emohua LGA in Rivers State, and Goodness Monday from Akwa Ibom State were found guilty on the 10 counts of conspiracy, cultism, murder and illegal possession of firearms preferred against them by the police.
The trial judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, in his judgment, however, discharged and acquitted the sixth defendant in the charge, Alex Deiwe.
Justice Aprioku ruled that the prosecution counsel, Essien Edet, proved his case against the five on conspiracy, cultism, illegal possession of firearms and murder.
He, therefore, convicted and sentenced them by hanging or by administration lethal injection until they die.
The court further held that the convicts did not only murder the Omudioga OSPAC commander, but were also involved in kidnapping and other criminal activities in parts of the state before their arrest and prosecution.
