By Onoriode Etatsemi
The Delta High Court sitting at Ibusa and presided over by Honourable Justice M. Omovie has convicted and sentenced three men to death for the murder of the late King of Ubulu-uku Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Obi Edward Akaeze Ofulue 111. The defendants, Suleiman Musa (m) , Umar Mohammed (m), and Garba Abubakar Haruna aka Dogo (m), were alleged to have committed the offence on the 6th of January 2016.
The three defendants were arraigned before the court on multiple counts of offences including conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping conspiracy to commit Armed robbery, armed robbery as well as Conspiracy to commit murder and the murder of the royal father, Obi Edward Akaezue Ofulue 111.
The court also convicted and sentenced one Jemilu Ahmed (m), who was found with the handset of the Monarch for receiving robbed property.
The prosecuting team from the State Ministry of Justice led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Anthony Orhorhoro, called 5 witnesses in proof of its case. The witnesses included Pastor Charles Afamefuna Ugboh, PW3, who was kidnapped alongside the King but survived the incident. He gave eye witness evidence of how they were kidnapped at gun point by the defendants and his eventual escape from their custody.
In her judgement, the trial judge held that the prosecution proved its case against all the defendants beyond reasonable doubts. The court then sentenced the three defendants who carried out the kidnapping and murder of Obi Edward Akalue Ofilue 111 to death by hanging. The court also sentenced the 1st defendant to 14 years imprisonment with no option of fine for receiving the robbed property of the deceased Monarch.
It will be recalled that the Monarch was kidnapped along the Obior road alongside Pastor Afamefuna Ugboh and held in captivity until his corpse was later found in the bush days after.
