By Onoriode Etatsemi
A Delta State High Court sitting at Asaba and presided over by Hon. Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro has sentenced Onuwa Olise Ijie to death and Nwanozie Uzor to 14 years imprisonment, respectively, for the murder and conspiracy to commit murder of a set of male twins, Chidalu and Chigozie Olise Agwunobi, aged seven years.
The prosecution conducted by a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Paula Akpoguma in proof of the case called five witnesses. A 6th witness, 15-year-old Iweka Ajie, a younger brother to one of the Defendants, who came to testify via video link but at the last minute out of fear, refused to adopt his deposition on oath.
The court held that the testimony of the other five witnesses proved the case against the two defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
The prosecutor said that tragedy struck the family of Olise Agwunobi of Oko- Ogbele Community on 5th March 2020 when their seven- year old twin boys were lured by the Defendants to a bush and proceeded to cut off their penis, eyes, tongues and hands, which they hurriedly took to a native doctor at Aguleri in Anambra State.
The prosecutor said that one of the defendants had earlier gone to the school of the twin children to take them but was turned down by the school teacher, one Mrs Emelda Ogugua Ezekwude.
Delivering his judgment, Hon. Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro stated that after carefully evaluating the evidence presented before him, the prosecution had discharged the burden of proof as the first defendant from his confessional statement was the person who sowed the seed of committing human rituals in the mind of the second defendant by giving the phone number of one Chukwudi Edemuzor who was alleged to be searching for twins to kill for money.
The court maintained that the law is settled that the testimony of an Investigating Police Officer (IPO) is not hearsay evidence and the court can rely on it.
In a chat with journalists soon after the judgment, the Prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Paula Akpoguma thanked the court for upholding the cause of Justice and reaffirming that the Judicial system works.
