Two individuals, Mr. Theophilus Nwachukwu and Mr. Christopher Emeka Okoli, have been found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging on multiple charges by Delta State High Court 2 in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area. The charges include conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery, and illegal possession.
Hon. Justice R. Harriman, the presiding judge, stated that the prosecution had successfully proven all the offenses against the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt. The victims, Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Adoghe, had reported to the court that the defendants had forcibly taken the wife’s Honda car at gunpoint.
According to the complainants, the defendants were apprehended by the police at a checkpoint in Aladja, where Mr. Adoghe was found locked in the car trunk. During the trial, the prosecution presented the two victims and three policemen as witnesses, while the defendants testified in their defense but did not call any witnesses.
After a thorough examination of the available evidence, Justice Harriman delivered her judgment, affirming that the prosecution had sufficiently proven all the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
The prosecution counsel, Theophilus E. Omenuwoma Esq., an Assistant Director in the State Ministry of Justice, expressed satisfaction with the verdict. He explained that the defendants were charged with five offenses, resulting in a seven-year imprisonment for conspiracy, a ten-year imprisonment for kidnapping, death by hanging for armed robbery (counts 3/4), and ten years of imprisonment for illegal possession (count 5).
The prosecution counsel also advised young people in the country to reject criminal activities and instead engage in lawful endeavors that would provide them with a peaceful source of income. He further urged youths to exercise patience, work hard, and strive for success, while avoiding any involvement in criminal acts that could truncate their lives prematurely.
