Two to die by hanging for kidnapping, armed robbery in Delta

Delta State High Court 2 sitting at Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area has convicted and sentenced two persons, Mr Theophilus Nwachukwu and Mr Christopher Emeka Okoli, to death by hanging on five court charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery and illegal possession.

The presiding judge, Hon. Justice R. Harriman, said the prosecution had proved all the offences preferred against the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt.

The nominal complainants, a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Adoghe, had approached the court alleging that the defendants had robbed them of the wife’s Honda car at gunpoint.

The complainants revealed that the defendants ran out of luck when they met a police checkpoint at Aladja, where the police arrested them with Mr. Adoghe still locked up in the car’s booth.

During the trial, the prosecution called the two victims and three policemen as witnesses whereas the defendants testified in their defence but did not call any witnesses.

Delivering her judgment after a careful examination of the available evidence, Justice Harriman held that the prosecution had proved all the offences preferred against the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt.

In a reaction, the prosecution counsel, Theophilus E. Omenuwoma Esq., who is an Assistant Director in the State Ministry of Justice, held that he was satisfied with the judgement.

The prosecution counsel noted that “the defendants were charged to court on five-count charges bordering on Count 1, Conspiracy that gave them seven years imprisonment, Count 2, kidnapping, 10 years imprisonment, Count 3/4 armed robbery, to death by hanging while Count 5, illegal possession which earned them 10 years imprisonment, respectively”.

The prosecution counsel however advised that youths in the country should shun crime and engage in meaningful ventures that will give them peaceful money.

He further counselled youths to be patient in life and, as well, work hard to achieve success and never to get involved in any form of criminalities that could cut short their life span.

(Punch)