A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Friday sentenced three people to d3ath by hanging over the m8rder of a pharmacist.
The convicts are Confidence Kirinee, popularly called General Ilia, Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha.
The court, presided over by Justice Augusta Chukwu, also convicted one Loveday Legah to life imprisonment for belonging to a secret cult group whose activities led to the m8rder of a pharmacist identified as Muenalo Sunday from Zaakpo community in Khana Local Government Area of the state.
Justice Chukwu convicted and sentenced the trio of Confidence Kirinee, Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha to death by hanging for conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping, and murder of the pharmacist on 5th March 2019 in Zaakpo community, Khana LGA.
Justice Chukwu in her judgement held that the prosecution proved the case of conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping, and m8rder against Confidence Kirinee, popularly called General Ilia, Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha, and a case of cultism against Loveday Legah.
The judge ruled that with confessional statements and evidence before the court, the suspects, who are members of the Iceland secret cult, actually conspired, kidnapped and m8rdered their victim, cut off his head and other sensitive organs and later dumped his remains inside a pit, while the head was taken to their shrine in a bush in a neighbouring community.
She held that while Loveday Legah should spend his entire life in prison, Confidence Kirinee, Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha should be hanged by the neck until they are confirmed d3ad.
Counsel to the convicts declined to comment on the judgment.
The prosecution counsel, speaking to newsmen, Chief State Counsel, Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Precious Ordu, commended the judge for a thorough job, which he described as proof of justice for both the dead and the living.
