Man sentenced to death for killing twins

In a ruling delivered at the High Court in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, Onuwa Ijie was handed a death sentence for his role in the murder of twin brothers, Chidalu and Chigozie Agwunobi, while his co-conspirator, Nwanozie Uzor, received a 14-year prison sentence for their involvement in the heinous crime.

Under the jurisdiction of Justice Onome Marshal Umukoro, the court delivered a verdict sentencing Ijie and Uzor for their involvement in the tragic murder of seven-year-old twin brothers.

In presenting the case, Mrs. Paula Akpoguma, a Deputy Director at the Ministry of Justice, led the prosecution and called five witnesses to testify.

The sixth witness, 15-year-old Iweka Ajie, a younger brother to one of the defendants who came to testify via video link but at the last minute out of fear, refused to adopt his deposition on oath.

The court held that the testimony of the other five witnesses proved the case against the two defendants beyond reasonable doubt.

The prosecution stated that tragedy struck the family of Olise Agwunobi of Oko-Ogbele Community on March 5, 2020 when their seven- year-old twin boys were lured by the defendants to a bush and proceeded to cut off their penis, eyes, tongues and hands which they hurriedly took to a native doctor at Aguleri in Anambra State.

“One of the defendants had earlier gone to the school of the twin children to take them but was turned down by the school teacher, one Mrs Emelda Ogugua Ezekwude,” she said.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro stated that after carefully evaluating the evidence presented before him, the prosecution had discharged the burden of proof as the first defendant from his confessional statement was the person who sowed the seed of committing human rituals in the mind of the second defendant by giving the phone number of one Chukwudi Edemuzor who was alleged to be searching for twins to kill for money.

The court reaffirmed the established legal principle that the testimony of an Investigating Police Officer is deemed credible and admissible as evidence, and not considered hearsay.

While speaking with journalists after the Judgment on Tuesday, the prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Paula Akpoguma, thanked the court for upholding the course of justice, “reaffirming that the judicial system works.”