Court Sentences Three Persons To Death By Hanging For Murdering Former Director Of Finance

A Port-Harcourt High Court has sentenced three accused persons to death by hanging for the murder of a former Director of Finance in Rivers State Ministry of Health.

Presiding judge of the court, Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli, sentenced the three accused persons Andy Clement Ogbu, Godfrey Hanson and Chima Morris Wokoma to death by hanging in his judgement delivered on Tuesday.

The iudge also discharged and acquitted two other defendants Obinna Okeafor and Ogechi Innocent saying that prosecution failed to prove his case beyond all reasonable doubt against the third and sixth defendants and discharged and acquitted them on all counts.

One of the defendants died in detention.

The six defendants faced nine-count charge of kidnap and murder.

They were charged with conspiring to kidnap and murder the former Director of Finance, Charles Ogu, and another victim, Chief Promise Weli, in 2012 and were prosecuted by Rivers State Government.

The accused persons allegedly kidnapped and murdered their victims after collecting ransom of N10million each from the two families.

In reading his judgement, Hon. Justice Enebeli said that counsels had presented final written addresses in course of the trial and had mentioned the final written addresses while reading his judgement.

The ninth charge was on membership of a secret cult.

The judge read confessional statements by first, second and fifth accused persons in which they confessed to committing the crime saying that their statements were not mere contrivance.

The first defendant is from Enugu State while the second and the fifth are from Rivers State.

The judge said that the prosecution had proved the case of conspiracy and murder beyond all reasonable doubt against the first, second and fifth defendants and found them guilty of the charges.

He said that the defendants were found guilty on multiple counts of kidnapping each carrying death sentence but said that he would sentence them only once.

The convicted defendants were led out of the court by prison officials and security operatives.