The Ebonyi State High Court, Ohaukwu Judicial Division, has sentenced four young men, including Uchenna Odono, the younger brother of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Ohaukwu Local Government Area Chairman, Ikechukwu Odono, to death by hanging for the murder of 26-year-old Chinonso Elom, popularly known as Oscar.
The convicted individuals—Uchenna Odono, Anthony Elom, Chibueze Onwe, and Chukwuemeka Ugah—were found guilty of conspiracy and murder in connection with the killing, which occurred on the evening of February 5, 2023.
The court heard that the four, along with a fifth suspect, ThankGod Onwe, who remains at large, drove a branded Sienna bus belonging to a known political party to Ndulo Umuogudu Akpu road, near Okwo Ngbo Main Market in Ohaukwu Local Government Area. They stopped in front of the victim’s business premises and murdered him.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Esther Otah ruled that the prosecution’s evidence, including eyewitness accounts, proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused were responsible for Elom’s death. She noted that a forensic analysis of a gun recovered from the perpetrators confirmed it was last used on February 5, 2023, the date of the murder. Justice Otah dismissed the defendants’ defense as insufficient to exonerate them.
Addressing why all four were sentenced to death despite Anthony Elom being the one who shot the victim, Justice Otah explained that the group had formed a “common intention” to carry out an unlawful act, making them equally liable for the outcome. She declared, “Anthony Elom a.k.a Tidy, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul. Chibueze Onwe a.k.a Chief, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul. Chukwuemeka Ugah a.k.a Parity, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul. Uchenna Odono, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul.”
Counsel for the defendants, Chinedu Uwa, expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict and announced plans to appeal the judgment. Meanwhile, the prosecuting counsel, Oluchi Ibiam of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice, along with Ohaukwu-based lawyers Barr. Chinedu Ugadu and Barr. Chinedu Ituma, who were present in court, hailed the ruling as a true reflection of justice.
