A Delta State High Court sitting in Akwukwu-Igbo has sentenced Obinna Eze to death by hanging for the murder of a six-month-old baby, Chimaobi Igwe.
Eze faced charges of attempted murder, murder, and grievous bodily harm brought against him by the Delta State Government.
He was accused of killing the infant and causing serious injuries to the child’s mother, Mrs. Blessing Igwe, during an altercation.
The defendant pleaded not guilty, but Justice Marcel Okoh ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
In his judgment, Justice Okoh relied on evidence provided by the deceased child’s mother, testimony from a pathologist, and the defendant’s confessional statement tendered by the police.
The court dismissed Eze’s claims of innocence and rejected his retraction of the confession.
Justice Okoh subsequently convicted Eze and sentenced him to death by hanging for the murder.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution, led by the State Solicitor and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Omamuzo Erebe, said the crimes occurred on Oct. 27, 2023, at Talita Street, Okpanam Road, Asaba.
According to Mrs. Igwe, the first prosecution witness, the incident followed a disagreement over a missing phone belonging to the defendant, her co-tenant.
She recounted how Eze attacked her with a cutlass, inflicting injuries on her and her baby. The child succumbed to head injuries a week later in hospital.
The pathologist, Dr. Emmanuel Egbuduka, testified that the infant died from three severe head wounds.
Eze, represented by his counsel, Mr. P. Onubah, was the sole witness for his defence but failed to convince the court of his innocence.
The offences contravened Sections 320, 319, and 335 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Delta State.
