Five Murderers Of Shell Employee To Die By Hanging In Port Harcourt

A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has sentenced five persons to death by hanging after they were convicted on charges of kidnapping and murder of one Mr. Anthony Okoro in 2016.

Five out of seven persons in the suit number PHC/324/2017 namely: Oluchi Charles (1st Defendant), Miracle Anumuna, Ifeanyi Simon, Koko Bassey and Uchenna Stanley Amaechi, were convicted on the 10 charges preferred against them by the Inspector General of Police.

The charges include conspiracy, stealing, armed robbery, kidnapping and murder.

The court however acquited and discharged Chukwudi Etete and Anthony Ugwu, the two others mentioned in the suit.

The suspects had on the 29th of May 2016 reportedly attacked the home of one Anthony Okoro, who was a staff of Shell Petroleum Development Company, in Woji Area of Port Harcourt and allegedly shot him and carried his body away.

The suspects were also said to have stolen a Range Rover Jeep, Kia Optimal Car, television sets, an infinix phone and other valuables belonging to the victim.

Giving the judgement, Justice George Omereji, held that the prosecution was able to prove its case “that the first to fourth and seventh defendants were as guilty as charged in the matter.”

While discharging and acquitting Etete and Ugwu, Justice Omereji said the prosecution could not prove that the duo had knowledge of the crime, rather they made mistake to have bought the phones belonging to the victim.

He also held that the prosecution proved the case of conspiracy against the convicts adding that it was proven that the suspects had met at Genesis Fast Food Area of Woji in Port Harcourt and planned the kidnap of the late Okoro.

The trial judge also noted that the prosecution was able to prove that the death of the victim was caused by the suspects, regretting that Okoro was shot on his arm and taken away along side his cars and other valuables by the convicts.

Justice Omereji, who based his ruling on Section 410 of the Administration of Criminal Justice 2011, sentenced the five convicted persons to death by hanging, stressing that they should be hanged on the rope till they are confirmed dead.