Court Sentences 4 Persons to Death for Kidnap and Murder

Kidnapping has become a very profitable venture, a fast way to make quick money. The long arm of the law however caught up with 4 persons in 2 separate kidnap and murder cases, bagging them the capital punishment; death by hanging.

Onyemachi Oge and Okechukwu Oma were sentenced to death by hanging by a High Court in Abakaliki on Friday for the kidnap of Dr. Chuka Manyike, a Doctor of Pediatrics at the
Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki on 5th May, 2013 at his private hospital, No 15 Owerri street Abakaliki.
The kidnappers who demanded a ransom of N3m which was paid before the release of the doctor after 6 days in captivity had shot Manyike’s security guard simply identified as Peter who tried to prevent them from kidnapping his boss.

According to Vanguard, Oge who supplied beer, water and biscuit to the doctor while in captivity and Oma, a tailor opposite Manyike’s hospital who provided the information necessary to perfect the kidnap received N200, 000 from the total ransom paid.

Justice Eze Udu delivered the judgement on Firday stating that the prosecution counsel proved its case against  Onyemachi Oge the 4th accused person and Chukwu Oma 6th accused person beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced them to death by hanging. He however discharged and acquitted the 1st accused person(Levi), 2nd accused person(Oken), 3rd accused person(Desmond) and 5th accused person(0ge) and has recommended that Ijeoma Oge the 5th accused and the husband who is at large be charged for conspiracy and kidnapping for allowing their house to be used in keeping the victim during the incident.

The counsel to the 3rd, 4th and 5th  defendants, Barrister D.I Njoku, noted that he was preparing to appeal the sentence against the 4th accused person who was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging.
Justice Benson Ogbuh, sitting in another High Court in the state also sentenced Mrs Josephine Onwuzuruike and her boyfriend, Ekene Onyeka to death by hanging having found them guilty of murder. The duo had butchered Josephine’s husband and kept his parts inside a cupboard in 2008 at Azuiyiokwu, Abakaliki. Josephine, after the incident wept uncontrollable and pleaded with the judge to be lenient on her because of her children but the judge was having none of it.