A High Court in Asaba, Delta State, has handed down a death sentence to Onuwa Ijie and a 14-year jail term to Nwanozie Uzor for the horrific murder of Chidalu and Chigozie Agwunobi, twin boys who tragically lost their lives as a result of a sinister conspiracy.
The court’s verdict, delivered on Tuesday, brought a sense of justice to the victim’s family while sending a powerful message to deter similar heinous crimes in the future.
The presiding judge, Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro handed down the sentences to the two individuals over the cold-blooded murder of the seven-year-old Chidalu and Chigozie Agwunobi.
In an effort to establish a strong case against the accused, the Deputy Director of the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Mrs Paula Akpoguma, successfully presented five witnesses, whose testimonies helped uncover the truth about the tragic death of the Agwunobi twins.
In her statement during the trial, Prosecuting Counsel Akpoguma revealed the horrifying incident that occurred on March 5, 2020, when the seven-year-old Agwunobi twins, Chidalu and Chigozie, were tragically lured by the two convicted defendants into a bush.
There, in a chilling act of savagery, the perpetrators brutally mutilated the innocent children, severing their penises, eyes, tongues, and hands before quickly transporting the remains to a native doctor located in Aguleri, Anambra State.
She stated “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 Ezekwude.”
Following a thorough examination of the evidence presented in court, Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro issued his verdict, concluding that the prosecution had successfully established, beyond reasonable doubt, the guilt of the two defendants.
Citing the first defendant’s confessional statement as a key component of the case, the judge stated that it was this statement that had planted the seeds of ritualistic murder in the mind of the second defendant, leading to their abhorrent actions.
In issuing his decision, Justice Marshal-Umukoro asserted that the legal precedent is clear: the testimony of an investigating police officer cannot be dismissed as mere hearsay, and therefore it can be accepted and relied upon by the court.
Following the court’s decision, prosecuting Counsel Paula Akpoguma addressed the assembled journalists, expressing her gratitude for the judge’s ruling and the court’s dedication to upholding justice in this case.
“This judgment reaffirms the strength and effectiveness of our judicial system,” she proclaimed, highlighting the court’s commitment to serving justice to the victims and their families, and sending a clear message that heinous crimes will not go unpunished.
