ASABA/Nigeria: A four-man armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate that has been terrorizing Asaba and its environs that specialized in snatching exotic cars has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Delta High Court sitting at Asaba.The court presided over by Honourable Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge (Mrs) while delivering the court’s verdict on Thursday that lasted for several hours in a criminal case between the state and five defendants, Uche Vincent Uzondu (M), Emeka Amukali (M), Paul Egwom (M), Festus Oghali (m), and David Mario (m) in a 9-count charge bothering on conspiracy to commit felony to wit; kidnapping, armed
robbery and wounding with intent, found four out of the five defendants guilty of all the 9 count charge and were accordingly sentenced to death by hanging on the count of armed robbery.
Justice Azinge, however, discharged and acquitted the 5th defendant, David Mario of all the charges for lack of sufficient evidence by the prosecution linking him to the crime.
The court in its judgment held that the state established and
proved beyond reasonable doubt the offenses for which they were charged and that the defendants failed woefully to create any doubt.
While disbelieving the evidence of the defendants, the court further held that from their confessional statements, they conspired and worked together in synergy to perpetrate their nefarious criminal activities, adding that their denials that they do not know each other was a blatant lie and an afterthought.
She ruled that from their confessional statements, two of the
defendants statements corroborated as they narrated vividly in their separate accounts their modus oparandi.
In the particulars of offence filed by The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice through the Director of Public Prosecutions against the defendants, the Court was told that Uche Vincent, Paul Egwom, Emeka Amukali who was on bail before the court verdict and David Mario, on or about the 3rd day of December, 2014, at Asaba within the Asaba judicial division, robbed one Ilechie Michael Nnaemeke of his Lexus RX 350 SUV with registration no BDG 203 DA, two
mobile phones and other valuables while armed with a gun and also wounded him with intent as he was shot in the leg when he raised alarm during the scuffle the ensued.
Nemesis however caught up with the gang when one of their victims whose car was also snatched at gun point sighted his stolen car which has already been painted to another colour around a shop along the ever busy Asaba Benin Expressway and reported the discovery to the IPO.Acting on the tip off, when detectives swooped on the said shop where
stolen cars are refurbished, several cars were recovered while the accused persons were apprehended and upon interrogation, they made confessional statements admitting to have been responsible for the spates of car snatching and kidnapping within Asaba and its environs.
Reacting to the verdict, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Peter Mrakpor Esq who spoke through the DPP, Ernest Edomwonyi Esq said the court verdict is justice well delivered not only to the victims but to society and expressed the hope that it will serve as a
deterrent to others.
The Attorney-General averred that the State Government zero tolerance for crime was on course and advised youths to key into the various educational and youth empowerment programmes of the Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration. He advised youths to shun all forms of vices and get rich quick syndrome.
