A Rivers High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike and Ugochukwu Nwamiro to death by hanging, for the murder of 8-year-old Chikamso Victory Mezube, who was murdered and her body mutilated at Eliozu, in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state.
Ifeanyichukwu Dike, a 200-level undergraduate of the Physics Department, University of Port Harcourt, has been standing trial on the notorious murder case alongside, Ugochukwu Nwamiro 2nd Defendant and Sergeant Johnbosco Okoronze 3rd Defendant, since 2017 when the matter was brought to court.
In his Judgement, Justice Adolphus Enebeli ruled that Ifeanyichukwu Dike should be hanged on his neck until he is dead, while Ugochukwu Nwamiro should be hanged on his leg until he is dead.
Justice Enebeli found Sergeant Johnbosco Okoronze guilty for aiding and abating the escape of Ifeanyichukwu Dike from Police custody at the state Criminal Investigation Department and sentenced him to one-year imprisonment.
Justice Enebeli ruled that his judgment for convicting Ugochukwu Nwamiro relies on the confessional statement made by the 1st defendant, Ifeanyichukwu Dike, who in his statements maintained that the 2nd Defendant asked him to get sensitive body parts of a little girl for financial independence.
The court ruled that the Prosecution proved their case beyond reasonable doubts while insisting that Counsel to the 1st Defendant, Lezina Amegwa in his final written address did not deny the fact that his client Ifeanyichukwu Dike did commit the murder, but based his plea on insanity.
Justice Enebeli convicted Ifeanyichukwu Dike and Ugochukwu Nwamiro, without an option of fine.
Speaking to our correspondent Tina Amanda, State Prosecuting Counsel Chidi Ekeh, said the judgment is Justice served for the gruesome murder of 8 years old Chikamso Victory Mezube.
“It is a groundbreaking judgment, it was an incident that everybody who heard it in the country, particularly in Rivers State wanted justice and today Justice has been done.
“Justice as we say is a tripartite arrangements, justice for the state, for the accused and justice for the victim. Today I was convinced that I have given the court enough evidence for judgment to be served.
“Today the spirit of Chikamso Victory Mezube will rest in peace where ever she is, she will know that justice has been melted out to her killers”
John Ndah, Counsel to the 2nd Defendant, Ugochukwu Nwamiro, expressed displeasure in the judgment, stressing that he will appeal the judgment as it is an aberration to the law.
“Confessional statement is very highly regarded in criminal Justice, but where a criminal or accused person makes more than one or two confessional statements, it is not the duty of the judge to take one, delete one or don’t believe the rest.
“The totality of the judgment was heightened on the 2nd Defendant receiving a test from the 1st Defendant. Evidence was shown in court that the text message was sent from an MTN line, and when the 1st Defendant Ifeanyichukwu Dike phone was opened in court, it was discovered that the SIM cards in 1st Defendant phone were Glo lines.
“This is not the end of the race, in a criminal trial, the end justifies the means, where an innocent man would be put to death just for the sake of people feelings, yes the way the young girl died was too bad, but the 1st Defendant who committed the murder accepted that he did it, so you can not incriminate someone else. All evidence was presented to the court”
Also speaking, Lezina Amegwa Counsel to Ifeanyichukwu Dike, said they are yet to consider their next line of action on the judgment delivered.
“The judgment of the court at all times remain supreme, it is the wisdom of the court upon which it has found its position which remains the truth. As lawyers we know in a case of conviction that has to do with death sentence case, it is not mandatory for the court to be persuaded by our plea of allocution.
“It is the position of the law of which I think the court has actually ruled out today. The next line of action as lawyers, we will get back to our drawing board, if there is any need to take further action, we will do same, but for us, the court has given its judgment”
Recall that Chikamso Victory Mezube was murdered and some of her vital body parts chopped off including left side of the breast, fingers, and private part on the 18th of August, 2017 by now-convicted Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike, who was first apprehended by local Vigilante in Eliozu community in Obio-Akpor Local Government and handed over to Nigerian Police.
Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike later escaped from police custody and was rearrested in Jos, Plateau state.
Our correspondent reports that the pronouncement by the Judge caused the family of convicted Ugochukwu Nwamiro to break down into uncontrollable tears and Lamentation.
