Paul Osuyi, Delta
A community leader in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Newton Agbofobo, has been sentenced to death by hanging by the state High Court sitting in Asaba for the 2016 murder of vice chairman of the community youth association, late John Mogidi.
Agbofobo was arraigned on a four count charge of conspiracy to commit murder; murder of one John Mogidi; conspiracy to commit attempted murder; and attempted murder of one Innocent Akemu.
The court found him guilty on all the charges, and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment on count one (conspiracy to commit murder), while on count two which is murder, the court pronounced that the convict should die by hanging.
The court further sentenced him to seven years behind bars on count three (conspiracy to commit attempted murder), and 21 years imprisonment on count four which is attempted murder.
The convict was said have had a different faction of the community youth leadership against the leadership of the murdered John Mogidi.
According to one of the prosecution witnesses, Innocent Akemu who is a victim of the attempted murder, the convict had on May 16, 2016 led seven armed boys in two vehicles – a Prado SUV and a Toyota Camry to intercept the motorcycle he and the deceased were riding in along NPA Expressway in Ekpan.
The witness said the boys, acting on the orders of the convict, were forcing Mogidi into the SUV which he resisted, adding that at this point, one of the armed boys identified as Darlington pulled the trigger and shot the deceased at close range which led to instant death.
According to the witness, seeing that his friend had been killed, he immediately bolted and the assailant also opened fire on him, shooting him from behind before they drove off from the scene thinking that he was dead.
Akemu gave evidence as one of the four prosecuting witnesses called by the
prosecutor (a private lawyer who was given a fiat by the state Attorney-General to prosecute the matter on behalf of the
state).
The convict in his statement to the police had denied his involvement in
the killing but was unable to tell the police where he was at the material time.
He said he could not remember exactly where he was on the day and time the killing occurred but during trial he claimed he was at home but was unable to call any witness during trial in his defence to convince the court of his alibi.
Agbofobo further denied ever calling the deceased on phone to threaten him but the call log of the deceased which was obtained from his mobile network provider and tendered in court as exhibit showed that he was not a witness of truth.