Three dismissed officers of the Nigeria Police Force have been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
An Anambra State High Court in Onitsha passed the verdict after it allegedly found the former security personnel, identified as Juliet Ekwueme, Ugochukwu Obiakor, and Raphael Chike, guilty of murder.
The former corps were said to be involved in the killing of a 42-year-old man named Chukwunonso Uchenwoke from Mbosi in the Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.
The Editor Nigeria learnt that the incident occurred on May 14, 2016, at No. 13 Ibe Street, East Niger Layout, Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area. The accused officers were dismissed from the Nigerian Police Force following the incident, which took place within the Onitsha Judicial Division.
The Anambra court, presided over by Justice A.O. Okuma, ruled on Wednesday that the prosecution had successfully proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to the guilty verdict of the accused individuals on charges of conspiracy and murder.
These charges are in violation of Sections 495(a) and 274(I) of the Criminal Code Cap 36 Volume II, Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991, as amended.
All three defendants were convicted and received a seven-year prison sentence for conspiracy and life imprisonment for manslaughter. Trulaw Chambers, represented by their lead counsel, C.J. Okeke, handled the case with the authorization of the Anambra State Attorney General.
In response to the verdict, the prosecutor, Okeke, hailed it as another triumph and a clear indication that justice prevails when supported by competent legal representation.
The first defendant’s counsel, G.A. Oluwatuase, expressed intentions to appeal the judgment on behalf of his client.
Meanwhile, the legal representatives for the second defendant, C.E. Ezenwa, and the third defendant, C.J. Agbata, stated that they require a copy of the judgment to determine their next course of action.
