A Police Sergeant, Lucky Orji, and two others, Ikechukwu Louis Amadi and David Chinasa Ogbada, have been sentenced to death by a Port Harcourt, Rivers State High Court presided over by Justice Nyordee.
They were found culpable for their involvement in the gruesome murder of four students of the University of Port Harcourt in Aluu village, Ikwerre Local Government Area in 2012.
However, four other accused persons were discharged and acquitted.
Those discharged and acquitted were Abiodun Yusuf, Joshua Ikpe, Abang Cyril and John Ayuwu.
The four students of UNIPORT were lynched in a mob like fashion at Umokiri Aluu, a University community on October 5, 2012 for allegedly stealing mobile handset phones and laptop.
They were Ugonna Obuzor (19), Tekena Elkanah (23), Lloyd Tokwu Mike (22) and Chiadika Biringa (23).
In his judgment which lasted for over two hours, Justice Nyordee said the confessional statement by the convicted persons aligned with the video evidence played in the court, which showed how they all played roles in the murder of the four students, stressing that their offence is capital and liable to death.
On the discharged and acquitted persons, Nyordee said the defendants made statements in manners which contradicted their confessional statements and the prosecution could not prove their direct involvement in the crime.
Justice Nyordee said the victims did not consider the insecurity situation in the area before they went out to demand for their money at a very late hour from one Bright who raised the alarm that led to their death and is currently at large.”
The Judge noted that C4I, JTF and Aluu Police Post could not combine their intelligence to the rescue of the victims who were burnt to death, lamenting that “their (Victims) death shows how cheap human life is even when complained”.
He added that the sentence should teach all man that human life should be respected as the utmost value of God’s the creator.
Earlier, the counsels to the defendants pleaded that the court should tender justice with mercy and asked the court should reduce the punishment of the convict, following the 1st convict’s status as a married man with two wives and father of many children.
But the submission was countered by the prosecution in the matter, the Director of the State Public Prosecution, I. Otorubio, who urged the court to discountenance the submission by the defendants, saying that the punishment is clear is death with no option.
Otorubio said: “They should consider the victims that were killed, especially one of them, who was the only son of his family.”
It would be recalled that 11 persons, including the Paramount Ruler of the community, Alhaji Hassan Welewa, were being tried for the murder of the four youths.
Welewa and four others were charged for negligence, to wit felony.
They were discharged and acquitted in January 2017.
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