An Asaba High Court Tuesday delivered a landmark judgment as it sentenced two kidnappers, one David Erutere and Sunday Omamuzo Ukailkwo to a total of 113 years imprisonment with hard labor for the offences of kidnapping and armed robbery.
The Court sentenced the duo to the over 100 years imprisonment with hard labor having found them guilty of the five count charge of conspiracy to commit a felony to wit, kidnap, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a felony to wit, armed robbery contrary to section 6 (b) and punishable under section 1 (2) a of the robbery and fire arms (Special Provisions) Act Cap R II Volume 14 Laws of the Federation, 2004.
Other offences include armed robbery and demanding property with menaces.
Prosecution had told the Court that David Erutere and Sunday Omamuzo had conspired, kidnapped and robbed Irikefe Edafe and Egwu Johnbull of their valuables including a Pathfinder Jeep, GSM Phones, Laptop, wedding rings and cash on two different dates in June 2011 at Delta Palace Road, Warri and Ubiaruku respectively and demanded for a ransom of 50million naira from their families before they could be released.
The Court in its judgement sentenced the first accused person, David Erutere, age 31 and a native of Ekrakra Village of Ethiope East Local Government of Delta State to 45 years in jail for conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery while they both got 7 years imprisonment each for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, 3 years imprisonment each for demanding property with menace and another 10 years each for the offence of kidnapping.
The second accused person, Sunday Omamuzo Ukwaikwo who claimed to be a farmer and a native of Olomoro in Isoko South Local Government area was slammed with 25 years imprisonment for the same offence of armed robbery.
Sunday Omamuzo was arrested by men of the State command of the State Security Service when he fell into the trap set for him at the point of picking up the agreed ransom and he later took the security agents to the house of the 2nd accused person where he too was arrested and later charged to Court for prosecution.
Meanwhile another Delta High Court sitting at Orerokpe, headquarters of Okpe Local Government have sentenced a 27 years old University worker, one David Wonder Erhirhie to death for committing murder.
The Court sentenced David Wonder to death having found him guilty of the murder of Princess Chinoso Ijezie, an admission seeker in 2009 at Abraka an offence that is punishable under section 319 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C. 21 Laws of Delta State 2006.
While delivering the judgement the court said prosecution was able to prove beyond all reasonable doubt ingredients of the offence of murder and sentenced him in accordance to the law“The punishment for a crime of this magnitude is death penalty. This accuse person does not deserve less. I hereby sentence you to death by hanging at the neck until you be dead. May God have mercy upon your soul.”
Prosecution called six witnesses during trial which lasted for over two years while the accused testified for himself.
It would be recalled that David Wonder who until the ugly incidence was a clerical staff of the Provost Office, Delta State University Abraka was involved in a failed admission racketeering who collected the sum of N155, 000 from the deceased to assist her to secure admission into the University from a Private University somewhere in Edo State where the deceased was already running a program.
The Convict however could not secure the admission for the deceased but in a bid to cover up the fraud he lured the late Princess Chinoso Ijezie to his house under the pretense that he wanted to refund the said amount but instead, he murdered and secretly buried her in a shallow grave close to his house before nemesis caught up with him.
