Delta, Nigeria – An Effurun High Court has convicted and sentenced two men, Emmanuel Ruekpe and Peter Okoro, to death by hanging on two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery, in Delta State.
The court, which was presided over by Honourable Justice E. I. Oritsejafor delivered the judgement on April 25, 2023.
The two defendants according to the nominal complainant, Mr. Ode Odera Gabriel, boarded his motorbike on the 24th of September, 2016 at Otu-Jeremi junction to Owhawha town of which he charged them the sum of ₦400 and they agreed to pay.
According to him, in the course of the journey, the 2nd defendant after he came from a compound at Oghoir in Udu Local Government Area where he claimed to see his elder brother, stopped the bike man, claiming that his fez cap fell down and wanted to pick it, but he broke coca cola bottle and in a bid to avoid being stabbed, the nominal complainant ran away.
The normal complainant (bike man) recognized the first defendant whom he knew as a local dancer and he subsequently reported the matter to the Oghior vigilante Chairman which eventually led to the arrest of both of them and taken to Ovwian Police Station.
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Delivering his judgement after careful examination of available evidence, Justice E. I Oritsejafor noted that the prosecution presented overwhelming evidence which, he said, was sufficient to discharge the burden of proof on the case .
Reacting to the judgement, the prosecution, Mr. Ezeana Ejiofor who is a Deputy Director in the state Ministry of Justice, expressed satisfaction with the judgement and appealed to judicial authorities in the country to consider the abolition of death sentence and replace it with alternative life Imprisonment.
