Death by hanging

As though in fulfilment of the saying that sinners shall not go unpunished, even if they go hand in hand, a Benue State High Court has pronounced the death sentence on seven cousins for killing one Vince Ebere on 25th December 2012. They are to die by hanging.

The convicts are: Elias, Chibueze, Emmanuel, Simon, Patrick and Godwin, all of Ebere family in Enyiknpo Ulayi village, Ado Local Government Area of the state.

Justice Wilfred Kpochi of the High Court Otukpo convicted them of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide punishable with death

The convicts were said to have killed Ebere, using cutlasses and sticks to bruise him on the head until he died.

Justice Kpochi, in his Judgement, turned down the plea by the defendants, insisting that the punishment for the heinous crime was inevitable, adding that nthe prosecution had proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt.

He, therefore, sentenced all the accused to death by hanging accordingly.

Reacting to the judgement, the Prosecuting Chief State Counsel, Mr Ada Ocholi, lauded the verdict of the court, adding that it would serve as a deterrent to others, according to The Reporters.

Ocholi maintained that nobody was permitted to take laws into his or her hands, no matter the circumstance.

The Wife of the deceased, Mrs Felicia Ebere and his brother, Chukwuma also hailed the Court for the judgement and expressed happiness that justice was finally served for the murder of Vincent.