Man to die by hanging for killing policeman

Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

An Anambra State High Court sitting at Otuocha has sentenced Chukwuebuka Nneji-Olona to death by hanging for the murder of a policeman, Corporal Oluwadaini Temidayo, at Oye-Olisa market, Ogbunike, in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State. 

Chukwuebuka was identified as one of the Indian hemp dealers at the market, who killed the police officer by beating him to death with stones and wooden planks on the 2nd day of May, 2014, contrary to section 274(1) of the criminal code. 

According to facts put forward by the prosecuting counsel, Mrs Stella Ofokansi, the deceased policeman served at Nteje Divisional Police Station and used to visit the shops of Indian hemp dealers at Oye-Olisa market every month demanding and collecting bribes from the illicit drug dealers in order to keep quiet over their illegal business.

Unfortunately for the policeman, when he stormed the market in company of other police officers to raid the shops of the illegal Indian hemp sellers, after coming the previous day to collect his usual bribe money, the drug peddlers physically assaulted him with stones and woods leading to his sudden death.

 The defendant, feeling guilty that he killed the victim in cold blood and for fear of being caught, ran to the house of a herbalist to do a spiritual work that would free him from the guilt of killing the deceased which was disturbing him.  The said native doctor reported the matter to the local vigilante operatives, who arrested the defendant and handed him over to the Divisional Police Station at Nteje for investigation and persecution.

 The trial judge, Justice Dilibe O.C Amaechina, said the case of the prosecution fell within section 8 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 5 of the Criminal Code Law of Anambra State

 He, therefore, held the accused liable of unlawfully killing the deceased and found him guilty as charged and the defendant was sentenced to death by hanging.