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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
An Abia State High Court sitting in Ukwa, has after 10 years of trial, sentenced two former members of the Abia Vigilante Group, popularly known as Bakassi Boys, to death for involvement in kidnapping and murder of two persons.
The convicts, Ugochukwu Amaugo and Udo Ogah, according to the trial judge, Justice Chibuzo Ahuchaogu, are to die by hanging.
The duo were found guilty of conspiracy, kidnap and murder which occurred on August 30, 2014.
The convicts had, on the said date, arrested two young men, Temple Nwakanma and Martins Azih, around the Osisioma area of Aba, and claimed to have found them in possession of firearms, cartridges and knives.
Both Nwakanma and Azih were said to have gone missing while in the custody of the convicts.
When confronted the ex-Bakassi boys claimed they handed over the suspects to certain Army personnel who intercepted them at a military checkpoint on the Umuahia-Aba Expressway while taking them to Umuahia the state capital.
The convicts had also claimed not knowing the identities of the said military personnel nor getting any note from them before handing over the suspects to them.
As the whereabouts of the said suspects remained unknown, coupled with the Nigerian Army denial of any knowledge of the incident, family members of the missing suspects approach the court for justice.
Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Ahuchaogu said the convicts should be hanged for failing to prove beyond every reasonable doubt that they knew nothing about the disappearance of the two men and that they handed them over to the Nigerian Army.
