By Onoriode Etatsemi
An Ibusa High Court, presided over by Justice M. Omovie, has convicted and sentenced three persons to death for the murder of the immediate past Obi of Ubulu-Uku kingdom in Aniocha South local government area of Delta State, His Royal Majesty, Obi Edward Akaeze Ofulue III.
To die by hanging are – Suleiman Musa (m), Umar Mohammed (m) and Garba Abubakar Haruna aka Dogo (m).
The Court also sentenced the 1st defendant one Jemilu Ahmed (m) to 14 years imprisonment with no option of fine for receiving the robbed property (phone handset) of the deceased Monarch.
Prosecution stated that they were alleged to have committed the offence on the 6th of January 2016.
They 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 Akaeze Ofulue III
The prosecuting team from the State Ministry of Justice, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Anthony Orhorhoro, called 5 witnesses to proof its case.
The witnesses included Pastor Charles Afamefuna Ugboh, Prosecution Witness (PW3) who was kidnapped alongside the King but luckily survived the ordeal.
Afamefuna vividly gave an eye witness evidence of how they were kidnapped at gun point by the defendants and how he eventual escaped from their custody.
Delivering judgment, the trial Judge held that the prosecution proved its case against all the defendants beyond reasonable doubts and sentenced the three of them who carried out the kidnapping and murder of Obi Edward Akalue Ofilue III to death by hanging.
It will be recalled that Obi Edward Akaeze Ofulue 111 was kidnapped along the Obior road alongside Pastor Afamefuna Ugboh and held in captivity until the corpse of the monarch was later found in the bush some days after.
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