By Owen Eresoyen, Benin
Three persons have been sentenced to death by hanging for armed robbery, kidnapping and murder by Justice Irele-Ifijeh of Benin High Court, Edo State.
The convicts, Solomon Abuede, James Monday and Kelvin Edward murdered one Ephraim Akhere who they kidnapped and robbed on June 13, 2014 at Ihumudumun-Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.
The trial judge also sentenced one Oviasogie Sunday; alias Alhaji of Kano to life imprisonment for receiving a Nissan Infinity Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) marked EFR 218 FB, property of the late Akhere which was stolen after the murder.
David Williams and Monday Ozomo were however lucky as they were discharged and acquitted for lack of evidence linking them to the armed robbery and kidnapping.
Justice Ifijeh ruled that during the operation, the kidnappers who rode on a motorbike, armed with dangerous weapons, abducted Akhere in his vehicle and his female companion, one Sandra, after which they ordered them to move to the back seat of the deceased automobile and lower their heads as Solomon took over the driver’s seat.
The Judge averred that the convicts thereafter drove to the bank while two of them stayed with their victims inside the vehicle, adding that the third convict went to the bank with Akhere’s ATM card to withdraw money from his account.
The trial judge further said that after the withdrawal, the convicts drove to an uncompleted building where Abuede threw the victim (Akhere) into a well after forcing him to swallow rat poison, while Sandra was given the option of jumping into the well or swallowing the rodent poison, noting that Solomon who provided the rat poison later changed his mind but raped the young lady instead.
The judge further added that James Monday who was said to have provided the gun used for the operation and Monday Ozomo took the victim’s SUV and two other stolen vehicles to Kano where Oviasogie paid N420,000 for the automobile out of the agreed N500,000.
