For murdering their cousin, Mr Nnalue Onwurah, attempted murder of the son of the said Nnalue, and setting the house of the said Nnalue on fire at Odeh community in Anambra West Local Government Area, the Anambra State High Court of Otuocha Judicial Division holding at Onitsha and presided over by Justice Tagbo Anieto has sentenced two brothers, Hyacinth Onwurah and Jerry Onwurah, to death by hanging or by firing squad until life goes out completely of them.
Delivering judgement in a 4-count charge brought against the defendants which bordered on conspiracy to commit murder, murder, attempted murder and arson, the court resolved issues for determination against the defendants and accordingly convicted them of commission of murder; with 7 years imprisonment in Count-1, life imprisonment in Count-3 and Count-4, and death in Count-2.
The defendants, including Sunday Onwurah who died in the course of the trial, pleaded not guilty to the commission of the said offences and said that the Prosecution Witness 1 and Chief in the community instigated the Police against them, after which five witnesses testified against the defendants, including the wife of the said Nnalue; who corroborated that the defendants came to their house with dangerous weapons around 8pm on 12th February 2022, attacked and assaulted her husband, as well as attempted to kill their son.
The Prosecution Witness 1 had told the court that the first defendant who was formerly a Police officer used teargas to disperse members of the Odeh community who came to rescue Nnalue and his son, adding that Nnalue was already dead and the son severely injured when the defendants intended to set them ablaze, and that Nnalue’s corpse was later thrown into the River Niger by the defendants, but was later found and brought out.
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