A High Court Sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State has sentenced one Lucky Godwin to death by hanging for stabbing a woman to death inside a hotel room in Abakaliki.
He was accused of stealing a baby belonging to the deceased after stabbing her to death and sold the two-year-old baby girl in Akwukabi Etche, River State.
The accused was said to have brought the deceased and her two year old child from Enugu State and they both lodged at Crown Garden Hotel, Abakaliki where he allegedly killed the woman with a knife.
The knife was said to have been provided to the accused by the hotel gateman, Monday Onwe who collected N30,000 to assist Godwin in the act who later escaped from Abakaliki after the incident.
The lady’s decomposing body was however found days after the murder which occurred in 2018.
The accused was said to have also attempted to murder a heavily pregnant woman, one Chisom Ugwu by stabbing her severally in a bush behind Girls’ High School, Azuiyikowu in Abakaliki.
The accused also stole Chisom Ugwu’s two-year-old baby.
Luck ran out of the accused as Chisom Ugwu’s was later found in coma in a bush behind Azuiyiokwu girl’s high school close to the Crown Garden Hotel he stabbed the other lady to death.
Chisom Ugwu was stabbed on her neck, abdomen and back and was bleeding profusely. She was however rescued by police operatives and taken to the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki where she received medical treatment.
Delivering judgment on the matter, the trial Judge, Justice Iheanchor Chima sentenced Godwin to death by hanging.
The principal state counsel, Mrs. Ijeoma Aja-Nwachukwu, hailed the judgment.
She said, “Like the court rightly said an eye for an eye. According to the judgment by the court, he will be hanged to pay for his deeds. He needs to pay with his life as he has taken the life of that young woman.
“The child of the deceased and that of Chisom Ugwu were recovered including the accused person’s son that he sold at Echie local government area of River state.
“The second defendant was set free as according to the law once there is an element of doubt it ends in favour of the defendant.
“Yes, Lucky said the second defendant (Monday Onwe) was the person that assisted him according to his statement to the police but in court he denied it, saying he was just seeing him for the first time. The incident happened in 2018 and we filled information in 2019, so the case lasted for three years.
“We need to be careful who we move with, like this deceased woman nobody could identify her, even the daughter that was recovered is still with the ministry of women affairs.”
Counsel to Lucky Godwin, Marcel Akamaba, said “I work with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria. The way the matter has ended, I will communicate my office and know the next action to take.”
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