A Delta State High Court sitting at Akwukwu-igbo, on Friday sentenced one Obinna Eze to death by hanging for killing a six-month-old baby.
Eze was charged with three counts of attempted murder, murder and causing grievous harm, preferred against him by the Delta State Government.
The state government had charged Eze for killing a six-month-old baby, one Chimaobi Igwe, and causing bodily harm to the child’s mother, Mrs. Blessing Igwe.
He pleaded not guilty and the trial went on. However, on Friday [today], Justice Marcel Okoh found the defendant guilty of all the charges.
While delivering the judgement, Justice Okoh held that the prosecution proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt. He said that evidence provided by the deceased child’s mother, the pathologist, and the confessional statement tendered by the Police established the prosecution’s case.
The court, however, rejected the defendant’s denial in his testimony before the court, and the retraction of his confessional statement.
The court convicted and sentenced him to death by hanging for killing the six-month-old baby.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution was led by the State Solicitor and Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Omamuzo Erebe.
He said the convict committed the offences on Oct. 27, 2023, at Talita Street, Okpanam Road, Asaba.
The prosecution said that the offences contravened Sections 320,319 and 335 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Delta State
NAN reports that the first prosecution witness, Mrs. Igwe, had told the court that the incident occurred after she had a disagreement over a missing phone belonging to the defendant, her co-tenant.
She said that the defendant attacked her with a cutlass and inflicted several injuries on her and on the head of her child, who died a week later in the hospital.
In his evidence, the Pathologist, Dr. Emmanuel Egbuduka, told the court that the child died from three deep injuries found on his head.
The convict was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr. P. Onubah. He gave evidence as the only witness in his defence. (NAN)
