Court sentences 2 robbers to death by hanging

Justice E.I. Oritsejafor of a Delta State High Court sitting in Effurun has sentenced one Emmanuel Ruekpe and Peter Okoro to death by hanging.

Oritsejafor sentenced the duo to death on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.

In his judgement, Justice Oritsejafor ruled that the prosecution presented overwhelming evidence sufficient to discharge the burden of proof on the case.

During the trial, the prosecution counsel, Mr Ezeana Ejiofor, told the court that the offence was committed on September 24, 2016.

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Ejiofor, a Deputy Director in the state Ministry of Justice, said that the convicts stole a motorbike from one Ode Odera Gabriel, a commercial motorbike rider.

He told the court that the convicts boarded the plaintiff’s motorbike on September 24, 2016 at Otu-Jeremi Junction to Owhawa Town for N400.

He said in the course of the journey, the 2nd defendant (Peter Okoro) alighted from a compound at Oghoir in Udu Local Government Area, where he claimed to have gone to discuss an issue with his elder brother.

“The convict stopped the motorbike rider, claiming that his face cap fell and wanted to pick it up, but, he suddenly broke a Coca Cola bottle and in a bid to avoid being stabbed, the complainant ran away.”

He said, the complainant (motorbike rider), however, recognised the first defendant, whom he said he knew as a local dancer.

He said the matter was brought before the Oghoir Vigilante Chairman, leading to the arrest of the convict by the Ovwian Police Station.

Reacting to the judgment, the prosecuting counsel, expressed satisfaction with the judgment.