Court gavel
By UKA NWAFOR, Abakaliki –
An Ebonyi State High Court sitting in Ohaukwu Judicial Division has sentenced four men, including Uchenna Odono, the younger brother of the Executive Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Ikechukwu Odono, to death by hanging for the murder of a 26-year-old man, Chinonso Elom, popularly known as Oscar.
Others sentenced alongside him were Anthony Elom (alias Tidy), Chibueze Onwe (alias Chief oo), and Chukwuemeka Ugah (alias Parity). The court found the four men guilty of conspiracy and murder in connection to the brutal killing of the victim, Chinonso Elom, on February 5, 2023.
According to the prosecution, the four convicts, along with one ThankGod Onwe, who is currently at large, used a branded Sienna bus belonging to a known political party to carry out the attack on the victim. They reportedly drove to Ndulo Umuogudu Akpu Road, near Okwo Ngbo Main Market in Ohaukwu LGA where they located the victim’s business premises and shot him dead.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Esther Otah maintained that the prosecution, led by Oluchi Ibiam of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice, provided compelling evidence, including eyewitness accounts and forensic analysis of the recovered firearm, which confirmed that the gun was last fired on the day of the murder.
The judge ruled that although Anthony Elom pulled the trigger, all four men shared a common intention to carry out the heinous and unlawful act and are therefore jointly liable for the crime.
“Anthony Elom a.k.a Tidy, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul. Chibueze Onwe a.k.a Chief oo, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul. Chukwuemeka Ugah a.k.a Parity, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul. Uchenna Odono, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul,” Justice Otah declared in a solemn ruling.
In reaction to the judgment, the defence counsel, Chinedu Uwa, expressed dissatisfaction on the ruling and declared that he would file an appeal.
However, the prosecuting counsel, alongside Barr. Chinedu Ugadu and Barr. Chinedu Ituma, both from Ohaukwu Local Government Area, all commended the judgment as a true reflection of justice for the slain Chinonso Elom.
