A Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar on Wednesday sentenced a retired staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Godwin Elewana, to death by hanging.
The court found Elewana guilty of the murder of a 22-year-old student, Douglas Ojugbo, on March 10, 2015 over suspicion that the victim was having an affair with his daughter, Mercy.
Elewana, who had been in prison custody since 2016, was arraigned on a one-count charge of murder in case No. HC/9C/2015.
Presiding Judge of High Court (Nine), along Moore Road in Calabar, Justice Ukpa Ebitam, said the prosecution team, led by Eneji Amajama, a deputy director in the Department of Public Prosecutions in the state Ministry of Justice, proved its case that the accused person committed the crime.
Ebitam listed the several confessional statements, hospital reports and the exhibits presented in the course of trial as reasons why the accused was convicted.
He said, “The prosecution team was able to establish ingredients of murder against the accused. On whether it was the act of the accused that caused the death of the victim, the prosecution team placed reliance, mostly, on the confessional statement by the accused…,clearly, the statement linked the murder to the accused.
“The prosecution team also proved their second ingredient of murder which was the intentional act. To have fired the victim twice with his pump action gun, I agree that the killing was intentional. I hereby find the accused person guilty of murder.
“Subject to section 319 of the Criminal Code of Cross River State, any person who commits murder is sentenced to death by hanging.”
Moments before the conviction was pronounced, Defence Counsel, Clement Ukaegbu, had pleaded for leniency.
Ukaegbu’s position was supported by another lawyer, Orchardson Umoh, who pleaded with the judge to tamper justice with mercy on the grounds that the convict had a good religious standing and high integrity in the society.
Shortly after the verdict, lead in the prosecution team, Eneji Amajama, said that the law had taken its course.
He said, “I thank God that we still have industrious and sound judges who still uphold the rule of law. Today, if for nothing else, the parents of the deceased would have some respite that the law of the land has taken its course.
“This judgement will serve as a deterrent to others that you cannot do what is wrong and go away with it and I think that this will be the better for our society.
“Section 319 of the Criminal Code of Cross River State under which the accused person for tried for the offence of murder. Under this section, the judge does not have the right to give him life imprisonment or any other. The judge has just done what the law stipulated.”
Mother of the victim, Maria Ojugbo, said, “I thank God Almighty for doing what should be done. It is stated in the Bible that anyone who kills by the sword will die by the sword. Elewana had no reason, whatsoever, to kill my son in such manner and conceal it by burying him. It is God Almighty that gave approval for this judgement.”
It is sad but the death of Douglas in the hands of the condemned Mr Elewana is even more. How could he have shot and killed the young man and bury him as if he was a dog? Does he not know about the sacredness of human life? This is a bitter lesson to learn. Too bad.