A Delta High Court has sentenced three men to death by hanging for the abduction and murder of Obi Edward Akaelue Ofulue III, the late King of Ubulu-uku Kingdom.
The convicted men—Suleiman Musa, Umar Mohammed, and Garba Abubakar Haruna (also known as Dogo)—were found guilty of the crime, which occurred on January 6, 2016.
Justice M. Omovie, who presided over the case, also convicted Jemilu Ahmed for being in possession of the monarch’s mobile phone, sentencing him to 14 years in prison without the option of a fine.
The accused were charged with multiple offenses, including conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit murder, and the murder of the monarch. The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Anthony Orhorhoro, presented five witnesses, including Pastor Charles Afamefuna Ugboh, who survived the kidnapping.
In delivering the judgment, the court determined that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, leading to the death sentence for the three primary defendants and imprisonment for Ahmed. The monarch was kidnapped along the Obior road and his body was later discovered in a remote location days after the abduction.
