A Delta State High Court sitting in Akwukwu-Igbo has sentenced a man, Obinna Eze, to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of a six-month-old baby, Chimaobi Igwe.
The verdict, delivered by Honourable Justice Marcel Okoh, followed a meticulous trial in which the court found the defendant guilty of charges related to murder, attempted murder, and grievous bodily harm, as outlined under sections 320, 319, and 335 of the Criminal Code Laws of Delta State.
The prosecution, led by the State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Omamuzo Erebe, alongside counsel Messrs J.A. Otite, Solomon Funkekeme Jnr, and M.C. Okafor, presented a compelling case.
Three witnesses were called, and two exhibits were tendered to substantiate the allegations against Eze.
The mother of the deceased, Mrs. Blessing Igwe, testified as the prosecution’s first witness (PW1), recounting the horrifying incident that occurred on October 27, 2023.
She told the court that a disagreement erupted between her and the defendant, her co-tenant at Talitha Street, off Okpanam Road, Asaba, over a missing phone.
Eze, enraged, attacked her with a cutlass, inflicting multiple cuts on her body and grievously wounding her infant son. Despite efforts to save the baby’s life, he succumbed to his injuries a week later.
A pathologist, Dr. Emmanuel Egbuduka, who conducted an autopsy on the deceased, testified as PW2. He revealed that the baby died from three deep penetrating injuries to the head caused by a sharp object, consistent with the cutlass used in the attack.
Justice Okoh, in his ruling, noted that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He highlighted the critical role of eyewitness testimony, particularly Mrs. Igwe’s account, corroborated by medical evidence provided by the pathologist and the defendant’s confessional statement to the police.
The court dismissed the defendant’s denial and his retraction of his confession, stating that the evidence overwhelmingly established his guilt. Consequently, Justice Okoh sentenced Eze to death by hanging for the murder of Chimaobi Igwe.
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