A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced three men to death by hanging for the kidnap and brutal murder of a pharmacist, Muenalo Sunday.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, March 13, 2026, Justice Augusta Chukwu convicted Confidence Kirinee (popularly known as General ILLA), Precious Mona, and Soniabari Sagha for conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping, and murder. A fourth defendant, Loveday Legah, was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the secret cult group responsible for the crime.
The conviction stems from an incident on March 5, 2019, in the Zaakpo community of Khana Local Government Area. The court heard how the victim, Muenalo Sunday, was abducted and subsequently murdered by members of the notorious Iceland secret cult.
Justice Chukwu in her ruling described the details of the crime as harrowing. Evidence and confessional statements revealed that the convicts not only murdered the pharmacist but also decapitated him and removed other vital organs. The victim’s remains were dumped into a pit, while his head was taken to a cult shrine located in a forest in a neighboring community.
Justice Chukwu held that the prosecution successfully proved the charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder against Kirinee, Mona, and Sagha beyond a reasonable doubt. Regarding Loveday Legah, the court found him guilty of cultism linked to the gang’s activities.
The judge ordered that Kirinee, Mona, and Sagha be “hanged by the neck until they are dead.” Legah was ordered to spend the remainder of his natural life in a correctional facility.
Following the judgment, the prosecution counsel, Precious Ordu—a Chief State Counsel from the Rivers State Ministry of Justice—praised the court for its thoroughness. Ordu described the verdict as a victory for justice that speaks for “both the dead and the living.”
However the widow of the deceased, Pretty Neewa-Sunday, spoke to newsmen outside the courtroom, expressing deep relief. Through tears, she stated that the judgment brought her a sense of happiness and closure, adding that she believes the soul of her late husband can finally rest in peace.
The sentencing marks the conclusion of a high-profile case that has haunted the Khana LGA for seven years, serving as a stern warning against cult-related violence in the state.
