A High Court in Akwukwu-Igbo, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State has sentenced Obinna Eze to death by hanging for the murder of six-month-old Chimaobi Igwe.
Eze faced three charges: Attempted Murder, Murder, and Causing Grievous Bodily Harm, as defined in Sections 320, 319, and 335 of the Criminal Code Laws of Delta State.
The prosecution was led by the State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Omamuzo Erebe.
During the trial, the prosecution presented three witnesses and submitted two exhibits to substantiate their case, while Eze’s defense, represented by Counsel P.C. Onubah, did not call any witnesses.
The first prosecution witness, Blessing Igwe, the mother of the deceased, recounted an incident on October 27, 2023, where a dispute arose over a missing phone belonging to Eze, her co-tenant on Talitha Street, off Okpanam Road, Asaba. She testified that during the altercation, Eze attacked her with a cutlass, injuring both her and her baby. Despite being rushed to the hospital, the infant succumbed to his wounds a week later.
The second witness, Dr. Emmanuel Egbuduka, a pathologist, conducted an autopsy on the child and confirmed that the cause of death was three deep penetrating injuries to the head inflicted by a sharp object like a cutlass.
After considering the testimonies, Justice Marcel Okoh concluded that the prosecution had established its case beyond a reasonable doubt. He highlighted the credibility of the mother’s eyewitness account, the pathologist’s findings, and Eze’s own confession to the Investigating Police Officer as compelling evidence.
The court dismissed Eze’s denials and the subsequent retraction of his confession as insufficient. Consequently, Justice Marcel Okoh sentenced Obinna Eze to death by hanging for the murder of Chimaobi Igwe.
