A 27-year-old clerical staff of the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, David Wonder Erhirhie is to pay the supreme price for killing an admission seeker, Princess Chinonso Ijezie in 2009. The Delta State High Court sitting at Orerokpe in Okpe Local Government Area of the state sentenced the convict to death by hanging.
The court found the convict guilty of killing the deceased, an offence punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C. 21 Laws of Delta State, 2006. Delivering judgement, the court said the prosecution was able to prove beyond all reasonable doubts, ingredients of the offence of murder and sentenced him in accordance with the law. “The punishment for a crime of this magnitude is death penalty. This accused 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,” the court held. Prosecution had called six witnesses during trial, which lasted for over two years while the accused testified for himself. The convict, until the incident was a clerical staff of the provost office of the university, a position he was allegedly using to carry out series of failed admission racketeering. In the instant case, he was said to have collected the sum of N155,000 from the late Princess Ijezie to assist her secure admission into DELSU from a private university in Edo State where the deceased was already running a program.
But the convict could not secure the admission and in a bid to cover up his track, he lured the deceased to his house under the pretence of refunding the money. The convict, however murdered the admission seeker and buried her remains in a shallow grave close to his house before nemesis caught up with him. Meanwhile, two persons including one David Erutere (31) and Sunday Omamuzo Ukaikwo have been sentenced to 113 cumulative years imprisonment with hard labour by a Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba for kidnapping and armed robbery.
The convicts were found guilty of the charges preferred against them which include conspiracy to commit felony to wit: kidnap, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit felony to wit: armed robbery. They were also accused of demanding property with menace. The offences are contrary to Section 6 (b) and punishable under Section 1 (2a) of the Robbery and Fire Arms (Special Provisions) Act Cap R II Volume 14 Laws of the Federation, 2004.
David Erutere, who hails from Ekrakra in Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state was sentenced 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 kidnapping. Sunday Ukwaikwo, who claimed to be a farmer and a native of Olomoro in Isoko South Local Government Area of the state was slammed with 25 years imprisonment for armed robbery.
The convicts had conspired to kidnap and rob one Irikefe Edafe and Egwu Johnbull of their valuables including a Pathfinder Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), GSM handsets, Laptop, wedding rings and cash on two separate occasions in June 2011 at Delta Palace Road, Warri and Ubiaruku respectively and demanded a ransom of N50 million from their families before they could be released.
Sunday Ukwaikwo, who was apprehended by men of the State Security Services (SSS) while trying to pick-up the agreed ransom, later, led security agents to the house of his partner in crime.