An Ebonyi State High Court has sentenced four men to death by hanging for the brutal murder of a 26-year-old businessman, Chinonso Elon.
Justice Esther Otah, who presided over the case in Abakaliki on Friday, ruled that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Anthony Elom, Chibueze Onwe, Chukwuemeka Ugadu, and Uchenna Odono conspired and carried out the murder of Elon on February 6, 2023.
The prosecution, led by Oluchi Ibiam from the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice, revealed that the convicts, alongside one ThankGod Onwe who is currently at large, drove a branded Sienna vehicle to the victim’s business premises near Okwo Ngbo Main Market.
They reportedly confronted Elon, demanding to know the whereabouts of his younger brother over an unresolved misunderstanding.
When he failed to provide the requested information, the men allegedly forced him into the vehicle. Upon his resistance, one of them shot him in the head with a shotgun, killing him instantly.
The court also heard that forensic analysis on the weapon linked it to the shooting, confirming it was last used on the day of the incident.
Delivering judgment, Justice Otah said, “The evidence before this court confirms the defendants’ culpability beyond reasonable doubt. May God save your souls.”
Counsel to the convicted men, Chinedu Uwa, expressed his intention to appeal the ruling, describing the verdict as “harsh.”
However, the prosecution counsel welcomed the judgment, calling it a “true reflection of justice.”
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