Ebinum Prosper, 24, has been found guilty of killing his classmate Ojieh Chibogu in Ugiliama Community, Ndokwa West Council Area, Delta State, and has been sentenced to death by hanging.
The Delta state high court sitting in Kwale, presided over by Justice F. Enemor, delivered the sentence after convicting the defendant of murder.
The incident happened on June 29, 2016, at Ugiliama Community near Kwale, according to the prosecution, which was led by Mrs. Catherine O. Onoberhie-Oberuomo, an assistant director in the state ministry of justice.
The court heard that after a misunderstanding, the defendant fatally stabbed the dead with a knife.
The matter, filed under Suit No. HCK/89C/2022, State vs. Ebinum Prosper, was initially handled in Asaba.
However, amid the unrest that trailed the EndSARS protests in 2020, court documents and exhibits previously tendered in the case were destroyed in a fire outbreak while the matter was at the address stage.
Following the establishment of the Kwale Criminal Division, the prosecution sought for the case to be transferred back to Kwale for a fresh trial (trial de novo), as it originated from the area.
Certified true copies of processes in the original case file were obtained from the high court registry in Asaba to aid the reconstruction and transfer of the duplicate file to Kwale.
After the prosecution closed its case, the defence took one year to open its defence.
In his judgment, Justice Enemor ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
He consequently convicted the defendant of murder and sentenced him to death by hanging.
