8 persons to die in Imo state by hanging over murder

Posted by admin Headlines, Imo, State News Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

A High Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo state Capital on has
sentenced eight (8) persons to death by hanging for their
involvement in the brutal murder of one Nze Dominic Ohamadiaku
Duru, an ex-Police officer from Izombe in Oguta Local Government
Area of the state.

High Court 7, Owerri, presided over by Hon. Justice C.M.I. Egole
found the accused persons guilty of murder, following an
overwhelming evidence before it; even as it freed the ninth accused
person-Sussana James Duru for having not actively participated in
the dastardly act.

The convicted persons, who were all found guilty of first degree
murder are: James Ugwuoha Duru, Fester Nuforo, Alexander Nnadi
(Alias Apollo), Friday Nuforo, Jonathan Chuddy Nnadi, Chifoanu
Okorie, Mattias Ohazurike and Evans Egbujor.

Delivering the landmark judgement in suit number: HOW/4C/2007,
the presiding Judge analysed all the evidence before it and found
eight, out of the nine accused persons guilty of conspiracy and
murder.

“You are to be hanged by your neck until you are drained of your
life breath and you are dead and may God have mercy on your
soul,” the judgement reads in part.

Investigations revealed that the freed Sussana James-Ugwuoha
(wife of James Ugwuoha Duru) was linked to one of the murderers
by marriage and although she is said to have accompanied her
husband to the house of the deceased on the fateful day to lure him
to the scene of the crime, she hadn’t actively participated in the
dastardly act.

The accused was therefore freed and allowed to return home. All
the condemned criminals were led away in handcuffs to a waiting
Black Maria by armed security officials and prison guards.

Making their last comments as they were being led out by security
operatives, Festa Nuforo wailed, ‘Nze Dominic was my father!; while
James Ugwuoha contended in vain with his captors for a chance to
shake his wife’s hand, retorting that he already knew that he would
never return home alive.

When given the chance by the trial judge to offer their famous last
words or plead for leniency, the convicts took turns to eulogise the
deceased, describing him as ‘our father and benefactor’; but
showed no remorse.

The journey to the hangman started when the convicted persons
conspired and murdered the deceased on the 3rd of March, 2005
following a protracted land matter and other sundry community
issues.

According to reports, the condemned persons had on the said day,
lured the deceased to his farm land in a bush (Okpouzi) in the
village where they laid siege for him and ended his life.

In an attempt to cover up their atrocity, the murderers earlier
influenced the falsification of the autopsy conducted on the corpse
of the deceased, alleging that he died of a natural cause. They had
also touted a traditional story of the deceased being used for
rituals; the diversionary steps never yielded fruits.

Following a Federal High Court ruling, the falsified autopsy was
nullified and an independent autopsy ordered. The independent
autopsy is said to have revealed the actual cause of the death of
Nze Duru, was “multiple homicidal injuries…”

The matter which lingered for seven years survived all intrigues
adopted by the accused persons to either buy time or pervade
justice.

Reacting to the judgement, first son of the deceased, Chief
Emmanuel Duru described the ruling as victory for justice, even as
he commended the Judiciary in the state for maintaining its status
as the last hope of a common man.

He lamented the incessant killing of innocent people in the area and
called on the government to take urgent steps to sanitize the area
in the interest of the citizenry.

He however urged the people to flee from evil practices and turn to
God for salvation.

While many hailed the judgement in Izombe community where the
crime was committed, the families of the condemned persons were
in grief.wp_posts