Anambra High Court in Ogidi has sentenced two men namely Elochukwu Belonwu and Chukwuebuka Ofokwu to death by hanging over the r*pe and murder of a 17 year-old girl, Jennifer Anene.
Gatekeepers News reports that the presiding judge, U. I. Ndigwe ruled that the prosecution had proved the three-count charge against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
According to the judge, evidence before the court established the guilt of both defendants on all counts. He said the defendants’ action is a desecration of societal values that require accountability.
During court proceedings, Florence Abadom-Igweike, the principal state counsel, said the deceased, who was reportedly battling mental illness, was reported missing on November 25, 2020, by her grandfather, Pius Anene.
Abadom-Igweike said that three days later, the first defendant’s wife told the deceased’s family that she had witnessed her husband and others s*xually assaulting the girl while she was screaming for help.
When the first defendant was confronted, he said he last saw the deceased in the company of the second defendant and denied allegations of s*xual assault.
Abadom-Igweike said a mutual friend of the defendants, simply identified as Akpuchukwu, who is currently at large, brought the deceased home unconscious and fled the scene.
The state counsel said the victim was rushed to the hospital on police instruction but was confirmed dead on arrival. Abadom-Igweike disclosed that a postmortem examination revealed bruises, vaginal tears and other signs of aggravated sexual assault.
The prosecution told the court that the first defendant’s wife refused to testify despite a court summons. The defendants however denied the allegations.
