For kidnapping the father of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa representing Delta North Senatorial district, four accused persons were yesterday sentenced to 45 years imprisonment with hard labour.
Pa Arthur Okowa was kidnapped on July 20, 2008 in his Owa-Oyibo residence and whisked to an unknown destination by the hoodlums.
However, the convicts, Fresher Aiwiro, Victor Ajulor, George Ogala and Bright Onyemari, all in their 30s were sentenced by Justice Christiana Ogise of Delta State High Court sitting in Owa-Oyibo in Ika North East Local Government Area. In her judgement, the Justice found them guilty of four-count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Justice Ogise maintained that having listened to the humble plea of the counsels to the accused persons to temper justice with mercy, she however found them guilty as charged.
In her verdict, she said , “They will be in jail, with hard labour, for 35 years each for the first and second count charges and 10-year jail term each for the third and fourth count charge, the jail terms are to run concurrently”. Not satisfied with the verdict of Justice Ogise, the counsel to the convicts, Kaliku Ikechukwu, said plans are been made to appeal judgement, “as lawyers, we have done our best. It is left for us to study the judgment, before taking a sound step against it. I can assure you, we will appeal the judgment,” he said.
댓글