Justice Adolphus Enebeli of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced one Ifeanyi Maxwell Dike to death by hanging for the killing of an eight-year-old Victory Chikamso, a female for ritual purposes in 2017.
Also sentenced to death alongside Dike is one Ugochukwu Nwamairo, his accomplice who reportedly requested for the supply of the human body parts for money ritual.
Also, an Ex-Police Sergeant who allegedly aided Dike’s escape from prison custody the night after his detention, Johnbosco Okoronze got one year in imprison, for adding and abating escape of the murderer, Dike.
Dike, a 200-Level Physics student of the University of Port Harcourt, (UNIPORT), on 18 August 2017, allegedly strangled his victim who was also his niece and primary two pupils of a private school port Harcourt, the state capital in his (Dike’s) room at Eliozu community, in Obio/Akpor Local Government of the state and removed the vital parts of her body.
Chikamso’s body parts such as breast, private part, fingers, ear, heart, eyelid, among others were discovered missing when the remains were found with Dike.
He was on his way to the community central crash bin at midnight to dispose of what was left of the body of the child when he was apprehended by men of the community vigilante and was handed over to the police.
The duo, Dike and Nwamiro were found guilty on the two-count charge of conspiracy and murder level against them.
Sentencing them, Justice Enebeli pronounced that Dike should be hung on his neck until he dies, while Nwamiro should be hung on his leg until he dies (upside down).
The Court explained that it decided to sentence the Ex-Police Sergeant to just one-year jail term because he has already served two years in prison from the time he was arrested and that he has been dismissed from police force since the case began.
He noted that Nwamairo’s conviction and sentence was based on Dike’s evidence in chief and voluntary confession/ statement at four different occasions that, the second defendant (Nwamairo), had requested the body parts of a little girl, including the heart for financial independence.
The Court ruled that the Prosecution proved his case beyond reasonable doubts while insisting that counsel to Dike, Lezina Amegwa “in his written address did not deny the fact that his client commit the murder but said he was not in his right frame of mind when he committed the act, meaning that he was mentally deranged, insane.”
The Court verdict caused panic and serious outburst among Nwamairo’s family members who were in court when the judgement was delivered.
His wife collapsed and was carried away by other members of the family present while one of the brothers, was noticed shouting on top of his voice, insisting that the brother was innocent of the crime adding that the judgement was wrong and would be appealed as they cry profusely.
Speaking to newsmen shortly, the state Prosecution Counsel, Chidi Eke described the judgement as landmark, adding that “it has brought about justice for the state, the family of late Victory Chikamso and the soul of the departed.”
However, council to Nwamiro, John Ndah expressed displeasure over the judgement and assured that it would be appealed.
As for Dike and his Lawyer Amegwa, it is all over with the case, “we may not appeal the matter because of the circumstances in the judgement”, they concluded.
It would be recalled that Dike escaped from police custody, using the darkness of the night to run away from the cell of the State Criminal Investigation Department, the night he was arrested and was re-arrested in Jos, Plateau state, two weeks after.
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va74ZvU2v1IqKByXoX3d
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
