- Police Sergeant sentenced to one year imprisonment for aiding escape of one of the murderers from Police custody
By Iruoma Douglas, Port Harcourt
Justice Adolphus Enebeli of Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Wednesday, sentenced to death Ifeanyi Maxwell Dike and Ugochukwu Nwamiro over the murder of eight-year old girl, Victory Chikamso, two years ago.
Ifeanyi and Nwamiro are to die by hanging without any option of fine for the gruesome murder of said eight year old girl.
It would be recalled that on August 18, 2017, the victim, Victory Chikamso, was murdered and her body dismembered, including the left side of her breast and private part.
Ifeanyi Dike who was first apprehended by local Vigilante in Eliozu community in Obio-Akpor Local Government of the State on his way to dispose the victim’s decomposing corpse was later handed over to the Nigerian Police.
The trial Judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, in his judgement ruled that Ifeanyi who was a second year student of the Department of Physics, University of Port Harcourt as at the time of the incident, should be hanged on his neck until dead while Ugochukwu Nwamiro should be hanged on his leg until he is dead.
Also, the court sentenced Sergeant Johnbosco OKoroze to one year imprisonment for aiding and assisting the escape of Ifeanyi Dike from Police custody.
Justice Enebeli relied his judgement against the second defendant, Ugochukwu on the voluntary confessional statement made by Ifeanyi Dike who in his four statements maintained that he was asked to remove the little girl’s sensitive human organs in order to have financial independent.
The Court ruled that the Prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts while insisting that the Counsel to the first defendant, Lezina Amegwa, in his first written address, did not deny the fact that his client committed the offense of murder but said he did based on insanity.
Meanwhile, speaking to journalists immediately after the judgement, the State Prosecution Counsel, Chidi Ekeh, described the judgment as landmark judgement that brought about justice for the State, the family of late Victory Chikamso and the soul of the departed.
On his part, Counsel for Ugochukwu Nwamiro, John Ndah, expressed displeasure over the judgment, adding that he would go for appeal while Mr Lezina Amegwa, Counsel for Ifeanyi Dike, said he may not appeal the matter because of the circumstances in the judgment.