Four suspected cultists from Ngbo community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have been sentenced to death by hanging by a High Court in Ohaukwu Judicial Division after being found guilty of conspiracy and murder of a 26-year-old young man, Chinonso Elom.
Chinonso, a.k.a Oscar, was murdered on February 6, 2023.
The convicted persons are Anthony Elom a.k.a Tidy, Chibueze Onwe a.k.a Chief oo, Chukwuemeka Ugah a.k.a Parity and Uchenna Odono.
The four convicts including one ThankGod Onwe who is now at large drove a branded Sienna bus belonging to a known political party to Ndulo Umuogudu Akpu road, stopped at the front of the late Chinonso’s business area, near Okwo Ngbo Main Market and attempted dragging him inside their vehicle, an attempt he resisted.
According to eye witnesses, the five killers who were believed to be members of a secret cult demanded that Chinonso provide information on the whereabouts of his younger brother whom they reportedly had misunderstanding with.
Chinonso’s inability to provide such information about his brother resulted in the attempt to whisk him away with a Sienna bus they came with. Upon his refusal to enter the vehicle, one of the hoodlums, Anthony Elom also known as Tidy shot him on the head with a shot gun and he died instantly.
The gruesome murder caused a pandemonium leading to a protest by Ngbo youths who demanded that the killers be arrested and prosecuted.
The convicts who could be recognised by some eye witnesses were subsequently arrested by the Police while the fifth person, ThankGod Onwe remained at large. They were later charged to court for the cases of conspiracy and murder preferred on them by the Ebonyi State Government.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Esther Otah said that the evidence provided by the prosecuting counsel and the eye witnesses accounts proved beyond reasonable doubts that the convicts were responsible for the killing of the victim.
Stressing that the defence out up by the defendants were not enough to exonerate them from the crime, the judge added that a forensic check on the gun later recovered from the killers also indicated that it was used last on February 6, 2023.
On why they were all served death penalty instead of singling out Anthony Elom who shot the victim, Justice Otah said that the killing was an act of conspiracy.
“Anthony Elom a.k.a Tidy, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul. Chibueze Onwe a.k.a Chief oo, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul. Chukwuemeka Ugah a.k.a Parity, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul. Uchenna Odono, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul,” the judge declared.