Delta High Court Sitting at Warri today sentenced one Chijioke Ede, a furniture maker to death by hanging for robbing husband and wife and for raping their teenage daughter.
The condemned armed robber and rapist was arraigned on a 3 count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery and rape before the Honourable Justice Marshall Mukoro’s Court with charge No W/600c/09.
He was found guilty on all the charges and sentenced to death on count one and two while he got life imprisonment on the charge of rape.
Prosecution from the Delta State Ministry of Justice had told the court that Chijioke Ede, age 26, said to be an indigene of Enugu State resident at No 17, Iyela Street, Warri with another person now at large on or about 12th day of October, 2009 at Okoro street Warri, off Marine Gate within the Warri. Judicial Division robbed his victims (names withheld) of DVD player, a laptop computer, cash, jewelries and other valuables at gun point and also raped their teenage daughter while the parents watched helplessly.
The convict was however arrested by the vigilante group in the area as they made to escape with their loot.
“With avalenche of facts and evidences before this court, for the accused to say he was not involved in the crime is laughable and afterthought. For the court to hold the evidence of the accused will amount to denial of justice thereby bringing the bar and the bench to disrepute. I thereby uphold the evidence of prosecution as all the ingredients of the offence has been proved beyond reasonable doubt and sentence the accused to death by hanging on count one and two” Justice Marshall Mukoro held.
