A Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba has handed down two brothers, Charles Adumekwe and Chika Adumekwe six years imprisonment with hard labour over alleged conspiracy to commit murder.
The Judgement is coming following the death of one Osikighe Emmanuel recently at the Delta State University, Abraka.
The court presided over by the Delta State Chief Judge, Justice Marshal Mukoro handed down the sentence suit No. HOB/8c/2014 to Charles Adumekwe(26 years) and Chika Adumekwe(28 years)
The two brothers were initially arraigned before a Delta State High Court in Ubiarukwu before the matter was transferred and reassigned to the Delta State Chief Judge.
They were charged for conspiracy to commit murder and murder punishable under sections 324 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C21 Vol. 1, Laws of Delta State, 2006 and 319(2] of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 21 Vol.1, Laws of Delta State, 2006.
The two brothers, however, pleaded not guilty to the count charges preferred against them.
The 1st Prosecution Witness, Anna Akume claimed that her late son, Osikighe Emmanuel called her on phone and complained that the 2nd accused person was troubling him at the Delta State University, Abraka.
Akume stated that in that same month of July, 2012, the 2nd accused person called her phone, threatening to deal with the victim, which made him to lodge a report at Abraka Police Station on the 23rd July, 2012.
Akume claimed she placed a called from the police station to the accused person at the instance of the police, inviting him to the station but he refused.
The first Prosecution Witness also averred that on 25th August, 2012, she got a message from 2nd accused person threatening that after 30 days and the son refused to return the handset he took, he would face the school authority or police.
Akume further claimed that on the 25th of September she was informed that her son was dead in Abraka.
Akume noted that she received a text message while rushing to confirm the information about the death of her son at Abraka.
“Shortly thereafter another message came naming five persons responsible for her son’s death among whom were the two accused persons.”
The Presiding Chief Judge, Justice Marshal Mukoro in a twenty page judgement held that having taken into consideration all the evidences before him, there was strong urge to infer conspiracy between 1st and 2nd accused persons in the conspiracy that led to the death of the victim, Osikighe Emmanuel.
Justice Umukoro dismissed the defence of the accused persons, describing it as childish and laughable considering the weight of the evidence to the fact that the 1st accused admitted being a cultist, abandoned his undergraduate studies abruptly in September 2012 and relocated to Lagos while the 2nd accused did not deny sending text message to the deceased mother particularly that of the 25th August 2012 in which he gave a deadline of 30 days, and surprisingly, the 25th September 2012, exactly 30 days, the deceased died.
On count of murder, the Chief Judge discharged and acquitted the two accused persons, stating that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He decried the prevalence of dysfunctional family unit in the society and propensity of youths to join secret cult groups instead of facing their studies which their parents paid for in higher institutions, stressing that this case caused the families self esteem, psychological frame and shame.
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