The
housewife, Mrs. Josephine Onwuzuruike, and her boyfriend, Ekene Onyeka,
were yesterday sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Benson Ogbuh of
an Ebonyi State High Court. Josephine and Onyeka had in 2008, at
Azuiyiokwu in Abakaliki, the state capital butchered her husband and
kept his parts inside a cupboard.
Josephine had accused her husband
of attempting to marry another wife by building a separate house other
than the one they were living. She, therefore, contacted Onyeka who
joined her in killing the husband.
Delivering judgment on the case,
Ogbuh found the accused guilty of the offence and convicted them. He
sentenced them to death by hanging. During trial, Josephine, broke down
and wept uncontrollably. She pleaded with the judge to be lenient on her
because of her children.
Also yesterday, another state High Court
sitting in Abakaliki, sentenced two persons, Onyemachi Oge and Okechukwu
Oma, to death by hanging for kidnapping a medical doctor, Dr. Chuka
Manyinke. The duo, alongside Chukwuemeka Levi, Idris Oken, Edeke Desmond
and Ijeoma Oge, were accused of kidnapping Manyinke, a doctor of
paediatrics at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki on May 5, 2013
at his private hospital located on 15, Owerri Street, Abakaliki.
Manyinke’s security guard, identified simply as Peter, was shot dead for
attempting to prevent the hoodlums from kidnapping his boss. The sum of
N3 million ransom was paid before the medical doctor was released after
six days in captivity.
Onyemachi Oge and Oma got N200,000 from the
ransom. Oma, a tailor opposite Manyinke’s hospital, provided information
to the kidnappers and gave them directives on how to perfect the act
while Onyemachi supplied beer, biscuits and water to the doctor during
his days in captivity. All the accused persons have been in prison
custody since the incident.
Delivering judgment on the matter
yesterday at High Court 3, Justice Eze Udu said the prosecution counsel,
I. I. Anikwe, proved his case against Onyemachi Oge the 4th accused and
Okechukwu Oma 6th accused beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced them to
death by hanging. He discharged and acquitted the 1st accused (Levi),
2nd accused (Oken), 3rd accused (Desmond) and 4th (Oge).
The judge,
however, recommended that the 5th accused (Ijeoma Oge) and her husband,
who is still at large, be charged for conspiracy and kidnapping for
allowing their house to be used in keeping the victim during the
incident.
In his reaction, counsel to the 3rd, 4th and 5th accused,
D. I. Njoku, said he was already preparing to appeal the judgement
against the 4th accused who was convicted and sentenced to death by
hanging.
Title :
A Married Woman and Her Boyfriend to Die by Hanging in Ebonyi State, See Reason Why
Description : The housewife, Mrs. Josephine Onwuzuruike, and her boyfriend, Ekene Onyeka, were yesterday sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Benso...
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