A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has sentenced five persons to death by hanging for the abduction and murder of one, Mr. Anthony Okoro.
The five defendants out of seven persons in suit number PHC/324/2017 identified as Oluchi Charles, Miracle Anumuna, Ifeanyi Simon, Koko Basset and Uchenna Stanley Amaechi were convicted of the 10 charges preferred against them by the Inspector-General of Police bordering on conspiracy, stealing, armed robbery, kidnapping, and murder.
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The remaining two defendants, Chukwudi Etete and Anthony Ugwu respectively mentioned in the suit were discharged and acquitted by the court.
The convicts had, on May 26, 2016, attacked the home of one, Anthony Okoro in Woji area of Port Harcourt shot him dead and carried his body away.
They were also said to have stolen a Range Rover Jeep, Kia Optima Car, Television sets, an infinix phone, and other valuables belonging to the victim.
Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice George Omereji held that the prosecution was able to prove its case that the first to fourth and seventh defendants were as guilty as charged in the matter.
The judge discharged and acquitted the fifth (Etete) and sixth (Ugwu), stating that the prosecution could not prove that they had knowledge of the crime, rather by mistake, they bought phones belonging to the victim.
He also held that the prosecution proved the case of conspiracy against the convicts in law, adding that it was proven that the convicts had met at Genesis area of Woji in Port Harcourt and planned the operation and kidnap of the victim (Okoro).
He noted that the prosecution proved that the death of the victim was caused by the convicts.H
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