Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Three persons have been sentenced to death, by hanging, by a Delta State High Court sitting at Issele-Uku, for the 2014 murder of 75-year- old Diokpa Felix Boise, who was uncle of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.
The septuagenarian farmer was brutally murdered, in his farm, on June 9, 2014 at Onicha-Ugbo in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State and his Kia Rio car carted away.
The convicts were 32-year-old driver, Sunday Luka, Danjuma Kaika, 37, and Luka Agu, 33, who all claimed to be from Nassarawa State. They were said to be labourers in the deceased’s farm.
The trio were charged on a four count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit murder under section 324 of the Criminal Code Cap C21, Volume 1 Laws of Delta State, 2006; murder under section 319(1); conspiracy to commit armed robbery contrary to section 6(b) and punishable under section 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap R11, Volume 14 Laws of the Federation, 2004; and the substantive offence of murder under Section 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms Act.
The court, presided over by Justice C.I. Ogisi, while handing down the sentence, said the punishment for the offence was mandatory and did not have the discretionary power to mitigate the death sentence.
Justice Ogisi, who sentenced the first and second accused persons on all four count charge, however, discharged the third accused person on count two and four but was sentenced on count one and three.
Justice Ogisi held that the court agreed with the submission of prosecution counsel, Pollen-Ezeana-Ejiofor Esq. who urged the court to accordingly convict the defendants as it proved the case beyond all reasonable doubt.
“I am persuaded that the third accused person conspired with the first and second but I am also persuaded that the third accused person did not take part in the murder of Felix Boise on the 9th of June, 2014,” the court held.
Prosecution had, through prosecution witnesses, told the court that on June 9, 2014, one Pa. Felix Biose, aged 75 years, was brutally murdered while in his farm situated along Onicha-Ugbo/Issele-Uku Road by unknown persons which investigations later revealed to be the three accused persons.
He said the deceased was attacked with woods and other offensive weapons after which his lifeless body was thrown into a deep dry well.
He further informed the court that two of the convicts who participated actively in the crime, used logs of woods and cement blocks to cover up the lifeless body inside the well and made away with his Kia Rio salon car to Nassarawa State where they were later arrested in their attempt to sell the car.
The deceased’s eldest daughter, Mrs. Magdaline Nkechi Esenwa, who was in court could not hold her joy as she rolled on the ground.
She described the judgement as justice to her late father who was very kind and caring even to his killers.