Inside Delta
Court sentenced man to death for killing baby as police arrest five over luxurious bus theft in Delta
Written By: Matthew Ochei/Oluyemi Ogunseyin
20 Dec 2024 04:30 PM
A High Court sitting in Akwukwu-Igbo Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State has sentenced one Obinna Eze to death for killing a six-month-old boy, Chimaobi Igwe.
The court presided over by Justice Marcel Okoh convicted and sentenced Obinna Eze to death by hanging on Thursday.
The defendant was arraigned before the court on a three-count charge for the offences of attempted murder, murder and causing grievous bodily harm, punishable under Sections 320, 319 and 335 respectively of the Criminal Code Laws of Delta State.
The prosecution was conducted by the State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr Omamuzo Erebe, who led other counsel in the matter.
“In proof of its case, the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered two exhibits.
“We called PW1, Mrs Blessing Igwe, the mother of the deceased baby. She told the court that on 27th October 2023, she had a disagreement over a missing phone belonging to the Defendant.
“The defendant, who was her co-tenant at Talitha Street, off Okpanam Road Asaba, attacked her with a cutlass and inflicted several cuts on her and on the head of her six-month-old baby.
“She told the court that she and her son were rushed to the hospital for treatment. The deceased, however, died a week later from the injuries inflicted on him.
“The PW2, Dr Emmanuel Egbuduka, a pathologist who conducted an autopsy on the body of the deceased told the court that the cause of death was as a result of three deep penetrating injuries to the head caused by a sharp object such as a cutlass,” the prosecutor said.
The defendant was also led by his Counsel P.C. Onubah Esq. to testify in his defence and called no witness.
Delivering judgement, Justice Marcel Okoh said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He said, “The eye witness evidence of the deceased’s mother PW1, the evidence of the pathologist PW2, and the confessional statement of the Defendant made to the investigation Police officer, all established the case of the prosecution beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The court rejected the defendant’s denial in his testimony before the court and his retraction of the confessional statement. The court then sentenced the defendant to death by hanging for the murder of Chimaobi Igwe.”
Meanwhile, the Delta State Police Command has arrested five suspects for allegedly stealing a bus belonging to the Young Shall Grow (YSG) Transport Company.
The spokesman of the Delta State Police Command, ASP Bright Edafe, paraded the suspects in a video he shared on his official X account on Friday morning.
Edafe said their role in the crime is so unique because one can only wonder how the five suspects managed to steal the luxurious vehicle.
On how they succeeded in their latest criminal activity, the police spokesman said one of the suspects worked with Young Shall Grow for eight years as a panel beater before he left because he was not retained.
The court presided over by Justice Marcel Okoh convicted and sentenced Obinna Eze to death by hanging on Thursday.
The defendant was arraigned before the court on a three-count charge for the offences of attempted murder, murder and causing grievous bodily harm, punishable under Sections 320, 319 and 335 respectively of the Criminal Code Laws of Delta State.
The prosecution was conducted by the State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr Omamuzo Erebe, who led other counsel in the matter.
“In proof of its case, the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered two exhibits.
“We called PW1, Mrs Blessing Igwe, the mother of the deceased baby. She told the court that on 27th October 2023, she had a disagreement over a missing phone belonging to the Defendant.
“The defendant, who was her co-tenant at Talitha Street, off Okpanam Road Asaba, attacked her with a cutlass and inflicted several cuts on her and on the head of her six-month-old baby.
“She told the court that she and her son were rushed to the hospital for treatment. The deceased, however, died a week later from the injuries inflicted on him.
“The PW2, Dr Emmanuel Egbuduka, a pathologist who conducted an autopsy on the body of the deceased told the court that the cause of death was as a result of three deep penetrating injuries to the head caused by a sharp object such as a cutlass,” the prosecutor said.
The defendant was also led by his Counsel P.C. Onubah Esq. to testify in his defence and called no witness.
Delivering judgement, Justice Marcel Okoh said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He said, “The eye witness evidence of the deceased’s mother PW1, the evidence of the pathologist PW2, and the confessional statement of the Defendant made to the investigation Police officer, all established the case of the prosecution beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The court rejected the defendant’s denial in his testimony before the court and his retraction of the confessional statement. The court then sentenced the defendant to death by hanging for the murder of Chimaobi Igwe.”
Meanwhile, the Delta State Police Command has arrested five suspects for allegedly stealing a bus belonging to the Young Shall Grow (YSG) Transport Company.
The spokesman of the Delta State Police Command, ASP Bright Edafe, paraded the suspects in a video he shared on his official X account on Friday morning.
Edafe said their role in the crime is so unique because one can only wonder how the five suspects managed to steal the luxurious vehicle.
On how they succeeded in their latest criminal activity, the police spokesman said one of the suspects worked with Young Shall Grow for eight years as a panel beater before he left because he was not retained.
Comments