By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Barely two weeks after a security operative was sentenced to life Imprisonment for raping a 17-year-old hawker in Onitsha, the Anambra State judiciary has once again demonstrated its zero tolerance for violent crimes, as a High Court sitting in Neni has sentenced one Nonso Anunobi to life imprisonment for his involvement in a brutal case of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, and attempted murder.
The verdict, delivered by Justice G. C. Anulude of the Anambra State High Court 1, followed a painstaking trial process that lasted several years, during which damning evidence was presented against the convict.
According to details of the case (Charge No. NN/5C/2019), the convict, alongside his gang members, waylaid their victim, Mr. Aloysius Obidinma, at Ifitedunu in Dunukofia Local Government Area while he was returning to Onitsha from his hometown. The unsuspecting man was ambushed, brutally assaulted, shot, and dragged into the criminals’ vehicle.
The hoodlums, it was revealed, went further to dispossess the victim of his car, laptop, phones, and other personal effects, before demanding ransom from his family as a condition for his release. Their dastardly acts, however, came to light through the efforts of law enforcement officers, who swung into action, tracked one of the stolen devices, and eventually apprehended the culprits.
The Prosecution, led by the Assistant Chief State Counsel, Fabian Okeke, marshaled substantial evidence linking Nonso Anunobi to the heinous crime, and reminded the court that under the law, a conviction for armed robbery ordinarily attracts a death sentence. The defense counsel, however, passionately pleaded for leniency on behalf of the accused.
In his judgment, Justice Anulude, after careful consideration of the final addresses and the weight of evidence before the court, convicted the defendant and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The judge noted that while the law stipulates death for armed robbery, the peculiar circumstances and the plea for mercy influenced the decision of the court.
According to him, the court finds the accused guilty as charged and the cruelty of the acts committed cannot be glossed over. He also expressed hope that the judgement will serve as a strong deterrent to other criminally-minded elements who may wish to terrorize law-abiding citizens in the society.
Reacting, the Assistant Chief State Counsel, Mr. Okeke, while expressing satisfaction with the ruling, reiterated the need for continuous collaboration among the police, the judiciary, and the public to sustain the gains made in the fight against violent crimes in the state.
It would be recalled that this latest judgment comes on the heels of a similar landmark ruling delivered at the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court in Awka, where a security man, Michael Okoi, was slammed with a life sentence for raping a 17-year-old girl hawking Ọkpa around the Upper Iweka axis in Onitsha. Both judgments, observers say, are clear indications that the judiciary in Anambra is determined to rid the state of violent criminals and restore public confidence in the justice system.
Legal analysts have also praised the dedication of law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Justice, and all stakeholders and groups who contributed to securing the convictions.
