The Delta State High Court sitting in Akwukwu-Igbo has sentenced Obinna Eze to death by hanging for the brutal murder of a six-month-old baby, Chimaobi Igwe.
The court, presided over by Honourable Justice Marcel Okoh, found Eze guilty on charges of attempted murder, murder, and causing grievous bodily harm, as stipulated under sections 320, 319, and 335 of the Criminal Code Laws of Delta State.
The tragic incident unfolded when a dispute over a missing phone escalated into violence. Mrs. Blessing Igwe, the mother of the deceased, testified that Eze, her co-tenant at Talitha Street, off Okpanam Road in Asaba, attacked her with a cutlass.
In her harrowing account, she described how Eze inflicted multiple cuts on her and her infant son, leading to the baby's death a week later due to severe head injuries. Dr. Emmanuel Egbuduka, the pathologist who conducted the autopsy, confirmed that the cause of death was three deep penetrating wounds inflicted by a sharp object, consistent with a cutlass.
The prosecution, led by State Solicitor-General Mr. Omamuzo Erebe, presented compelling evidence, including eyewitness testimony and a confessional statement from Eze, which he later retracted. Justice Okoh, in his ruling, stated, "The prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt." He emphasized the weight of the evidence provided by the witnesses and the pathologist, which corroborated the charges against Eze.
Despite the defendant's denial and retraction of his confession, the court upheld the original statement made to the Investigation Police Officer.
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