Delta State High Court Sentences Man to Death for Infant’s Murder
A Delta State High Court in Akwukwu-Igbo has sentenced Obinna Eze to death by hanging for the murder of six-month-old Chimaobi Igwe. The defendant faced a three-count indictment encompassing attempted murder, murder, and infliction of grievous bodily harm, as outlined in sections 320, 319, and 335 of the Criminal Code Laws of Delta State.
The prosecution was led by Mr. Omamuzo Erebe, the State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, with support from attorneys including J.A. Otite, Solomon Funkekeme Jr., M.C. Okafor, and Mrs. Betty Adams.
The case unfolded when Mrs. Blessing Igwe, the mother of the deceased infant, testified about an altercation on October 27, 2023. The disagreement stemmed from a missing phone that belonged to Eze, her co-tenant on Talitha Street, Asaba. Mrs. Igwe recounted that Eze attacked her with a cutlass, resulting in serious injuries to both her and her baby. Following the assault, both she and her son were rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, Chimaobi succumbed to his injuries a week later.
During the proceedings, a pathologist confirmed that the infant died from three deep penetrating injuries to the head, likely inflicted by a sharp object such as a cutlass.
In his judgment, Justice Marcel Okoh stated that the prosecution had convincingly established its case beyond a reasonable doubt. He emphasized the credibility of Mrs. Igwe’s eyewitness account, the pathologist’s findings, and a confession made by Eze to investigating officers. The court dismissed the defendant’s denial during his testimony as well as his subsequent retraction of the confession.
As a result of these findings, the court handed down the ultimate penalty of death by hanging to Obinna Eze for the murder of Chimaobi Igwe.
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