Justice S.N. Odili of the Onitsha High Court in Anambra State on Tuesday, sentenced a man, Sunday Emenike, to 21 years in prison for the attempted murder of one Nnamdi Obumse.
The court, however, dismissed and acquitted three other accused defendants in the case — Wilfred Mgbiligba, Chisom Amakaeze, and Paul Anozie — of all counts.
The four people were charged with four charges of conspiracy and murder in the death of Akachukwu Ezebuilo, as well as two counts of conspiracy and attempted murder in the death of Obumse.
The defendants had been on trial since 2018.
The four had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying they were not at the scene of the incident on the day.
Delivering judgment, Justice Odili said the trio of Mgbiligba, Amakaeze and Anozie, proved beyond reasonable doubt that they were not at the scene of the incident.
He, however, did not exonerate Emenike from involvement in the conspiracy and attempted murder of Obumse.
The judge said from Emenike’s defence statement, he did not convince the court of his innocence.
“It has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that he was involved and I hereby sentence him to four years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and 21 years for the attempted murder of Nnamdi Obumse. The sentences are to run concurrently,” the judge said.
In a related development, an Ekiti State Chief Magistrate’s Court, Ado Ekiti District, on Tuesday, remanded five persons for attempted murder and conspiracy to commit robbery.
The five defendants — Damisa Ibrahim (32), Abdulsalam Nurudeen (28), Lucky Bayo (22), Adebayo Godwin (26) and Ojo Musa (45) – are standing trial on three counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, attempted murder and membership of a cult.
The five defendants, according to the charge preferred against them, “were suspected to have committed the offences of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and attempted murder on Abdulhameed Musa and Femi Raheem at Ago Aduloju village, Ado Ekiti, on February 4, 2022, around 7pm, as well as membership of the Eiye cult.”
The offences are contrary to sections 6, 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap. 398 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Section 320 of the Criminal Code Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
One of the victims said, “We were going to eat at a canteen in Ago Aduloju when one of the accused persons stopped and attacked my friend.
“When I intervened, they descended on both of us and injured us with a cutlass and an axe. We were rescued and taken to a nearby clinic, but later referred to the Afe Babalola Multisystem Hospital, Ado Ekiti, due to the deep injuries we sustained in our ears and heads.”
The police prosecutor, Inspector Bankole Olasunkanmi, urged the court to remand the defendants in a custodial centre to allow the police complete their investigation and forward the duplicate case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Michael Falola said, “The defendants are hereby ordered to be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Services, Ado Ekiti. The case has been adjourned till March 4, 2022, for mention.”