High Court sitting in Akwukwu-Igbo Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State has sentenced one Obinna Eze to death for killing a six-month-old boy, Chimaobi Igwe.

The court presided over by Justice Marcel Okoh convicted and sentenced Obinna Eze to death by hanging on Thursday.

The defendant was arraigned before the court on a three-count charge for the offences of attempted murder, murder and causing grievous bodily harm, punishable under Sections 320, 319 and 335 respectively of the Criminal Code Laws of Delta State.

The prosecution was conducted by the State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr Omamuzo Erebe, who led other counsel in the matter.

“In proof of its case, the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered two exhibits.

“We called PW1, Mrs Blessing Igwe, the mother of the deceased baby. She told the court that on 27th October 2023, she had a disagreement over a missing phone belonging to the Defendant.

“The defendant, who was her co-tenant at Talitha Street, off Okpanam Road Asaba, attacked her with a cutlass and inflicted several cuts on her and on the head of her six-month-old baby.

“She told the court that she and her son were rushed to the hospital for treatment. The deceased, however, died a week later from the injuries inflicted on him.

The PW2, Dr Emmanuel Egbuduka, a pathologist who conducted an autopsy on the body of the deceased told the court that the cause of death was as a result of three deep penetrating injuries to the head caused by a sharp object such as a cutlass,” the prosecutor said.

The defendant was also led by his Counsel P.C. Onubah Esq. to testify in his defence and called no witness.

Delivering judgement, Justice Marcel Okoh said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

He said, “The eye witness evidence of the deceased’s mother PW1, the evidence of the pathologist PW2, and the confessional statement of the Defendant made to the investigation Police officer, all established the case of the prosecution beyond a reasonable doubt.

“The court rejected the defendant’s denial in his testimony before the court and his retraction of the confessional statement. The court then sentenced the defendant to death by hanging for the murder of Chimaobi Igwe.”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has warned criminals in the nation’s capital that he is prepared for them.

He charged security agencies in the Federal Capital Territory to work towards making the city safe for residents to enjoy the end-of-year festivities.

The minister made this statement during the FCT Security Committee meeting held on Friday, December 20, 2024, ahead of the Yuletide.

“Normally, criminals try to take advantage and make it uncomfortable for our citizens. I believe we are prepared to provide security for everyone,” he said.

“We have to continue to be vigilant to ensure that there is no room for anyone to manipulate the situation. The people in Abuja must sleep with both eyes closed and be able to run their businesses.”

Tragedy struck on Friday in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State following the death of three policemen and a female suspect in a fatal auto crash.

The police officers and the suspect died when a truck lost control and rammed into the vehicle the operatives were travelling in.

With the identities of the victims yet to be known as of press time, the police officers, who were part of the monitoring unit of the police command in the state, left Akure, the state capital, to effect an arrest in Ore before the incident.

With one of the sources who craved anonymity revealing that the victims died on the spot, it was stated that one police officer sustained serious injuries and had been rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

He said, “the truck lost control while descending the Ore Bridge and rammed into the police vehicle that was in front of it.

“The one that sustained injuries was rushed to the hospital. It was later that we had information that the lady who also died in the accident was a suspect who the police officers had come to arrest from Akure.

Also, the State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, stressed that a report regarding the accident will soon be issued.