Rivers Court Sentences 3 To Death For Pharmacist Murder

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced three persons to death by hanging for the murder of a pharmacist in Khana Local Government Area of the state.

The convicts — Confidence Kirinee, popularly known as General Ilia, Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha — were found guilty of conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping and murder.

The trial judge, Justice Augusta Chukwu, in her judgment on Friday also sentenced another defendant, Loveday Legah, to life imprisonment for belonging to a secret cult group linked to the crime.

The court held that the three condemned persons were responsible for the killing of the pharmacist, identified as Muenalo Sunday, in Zaakpo community, Khana LGA, on March 5, 2019.

Justice Chukwu ruled that the prosecution successfully proved the charges of conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping and murder against Kirinee, Mona and Sagha, while Legah was convicted for cultism.

According to the judge, confessional statements and evidence before the court showed that the defendants, members of the Iceland secret cult group, conspired to kidnap and kill their victim.

The court heard that after murdering the pharmacist, the suspects allegedly cut off his head and other sensitive organs before dumping his body in a pit. The severed head was reportedly taken to a shrine in a bush in a neighbouring community.

Justice Chukwu subsequently ordered that Confidence Kirinee, Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha be hanged by the neck until they are confirmed dead, while Loveday Legah is to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Counsel to the convicts declined to comment on the judgment.

However, the prosecution counsel, Chief State Counsel at the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Precious Ordu, commended the court for what he described as a thorough and diligent handling of the case.

“The judgment today is a good one. We commend the judge for a thorough work. It has been a hectic one from when we started till date,” Ordu told journalists after the ruling.

“We really thank God that the matter has come to an end. We have done our part and today the judge in her wisdom has convicted the four defendants for conspiracy, kidnapping, murder and cultism.

“It will restore hope to my client, who before now thought she would not get justice from the judiciary.”

He added that the judgment brought closure to the victim’s family.

“Today I’m sure she is happy and even the dead is also happy that justice has also been secured on his behalf, notwithstanding that he was brutally killed. He will also rest wherever he is today,” he said.

Reacting to the verdict, the widow of the deceased pharmacist, Pretty Neewa-Sunday, expressed relief over the judgment, saying it would allow the soul of her late husband to rest.

“They have reaped what they sowed because they killed my husband who did not commit any offence,” she said.

“My pain is that I have sickle cell disease and only my husband knew how to care for me.

Today I have become a widow that neither my husband nor I planned for.”