Justice they say is a concept involving the fair, moral, and impartial treatment of all person. That exactly what Ekiti High Court granted late Miss Anthonia Okeke, a National Youth Service Corps member who was serving at Ilawe Ekiti in 2008.
I remembered my wife telling me a story of an NCCF MAMA who was kidnapped and murdered during their service year in Ekiti State. This young woman was murdered by a motorcyclist who was taking care of her Logistics activities. On 19th December 2008 Miss Anthonia was planning to travel for Christmas Holiday, she made arrangement with Pius the motorcyclist for a drop. Pius arranged with his group who used her for ritual.
Six years after her death, Pius has been sentenced to death by hanging. culled from vanguardng
This was the verdict of an
Ikere Ekiti High Court presided over by Justice Adegoriola Adeleye.
In the case that lasted six years,
the judge equally sentenced Pius to 10 years imprisonment for kidnapping
Anthonia, which ultimately led to her death in the hands of ritualists.
Anthonia, a Chemical Engineering
graduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, who lost her
father, Pa Raphael Okeke, to stroke last month, owing to the circumstances of
her disappearance, was
kidnapped in Ilawe Ekiti in Ekiti South-West Local
Government Area of Ekiti State on December 19, 2008 by Pius and his gang during
his service year.
The late corps member is from
Umuno Ndiuno in Ezeagu Local Government of Enugu State.
Delivering his judgment, yesterday,
Justice Adeleye said he found the evidence adduced by the Director of Public
Prosecution from the state Ministry of Justice, Mr Adeleye Familoni, against
Pius as having probative value and reliable enough to convince him that the
accused person was guilty of the case.
He said: “I want to submit that the
prosecution counsel has been able to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt. He
has been able to establish that the defendant is culpable and no criminal shall
go unpunished in the face of law.”
Justice Adeleye, therefore, ruled
that Pius should die by hanging, having found him guilty of murder, even as
Pius is to serve 10 years jail term for his complicity in the kidnap of the
late corps member.
Commenting on the judgment,
Anthonia’s elder brother, Mr Obinna Okeke, said the judgment had proved that
those with criminal intentions cannot have their way as long as the government
is determined to apply the relevant laws against them in a diligent manner.
He thanked the state Ministry of
Justice, the police, human rights groups and the NYSC for their doggedness in
the pursuit of the case.
Also, the state DPP, Mr Familoni, in
his comment hailed the judgment,saying it was a victory against evil
doers and those who are desirous of making money through fraudulent means
He added that the ministry will
continue to help the society in tightening noose against those with criminal
tendencies in the state.
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