By Deborah Nnamdi
The Ebonyi State High Court sitting in the Ohaukwu Judicial Division has sentenced four individuals to death by hanging for the murder of 26-year-old Chinonso Elom, popularly known as Oscar.
The incident occurred on February 5, 2023, in the Ngbo community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, where both the victim and the convicts hail from.
Those sentenced to death are Anthony Elom (alias Tidy), Chibueze Onwe (alias Chief), Chukwuemeka Ugah (alias Parity), and Uchenna Odono, who is reportedly related to a senior council official.
According to court findings, the four, along with an accomplice, ThankGod Onwe—currently at large—arrived in a branded Sienna vehicle linked to a political party and stopped near Chinonso’s shop close to Okwo Ngbo Main Market.
Eyewitnesses testified that the group, suspected cult members, confronted Chinonso, demanding information about his younger brother, with whom they had a dispute. When he refused to comply or enter their vehicle, Anthony Elom allegedly shot him in the head with a shotgun, killing him instantly.
The brutal killing sparked widespread outrage and protests from Ngbo youths, demanding justice. Four of the suspects were later arrested after being identified by witnesses, while the fifth remains on the run.
The suspects were charged with murder, and during the trial, Justice Esther Otah ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. Eyewitness testimonies and forensic evidence linking the murder weapon to the crime played a key role in the verdict.
Justice Otah ruled that all four shared a common intent to commit the crime, making them equally culpable. She emphasized that it was immaterial who fired the shot, as their collective actions led to the unlawful killing.
As a result, the court sentenced all four to death by hanging.
