In a significant legal decision, the Abia High Court in Ukwa has pronounced the death penalty by hanging for two members of the Abia State vigilante group. This verdict comes after an exhaustive 11-year trial, during which the defendants were accused of the murder of Temple Nwakanma and Martins Azih.
The tragic incident took place near Osisioma Junction, on the outskirts of Aba. Justice Chibuzo Ahuchaogu presided over the case, finding the defendants, Amaugo and Oka, guilty and subsequently convicting them. Their conviction stemmed from a lack of sufficient evidence regarding the fate and whereabouts of Nwakanma and Azih.
Throughout the trial, the defendants claimed that they apprehended the young individuals in 2013 due to their possession of firearms, cartridges, and knives. They further explained that while transporting the detainees to their headquarters in Umuahia, they encountered soldiers at Abia Tower. Allegedly, the soldiers interrogated the youths and took them into custody, without providing any handover notes to the vigilante members.
However, the Nigerian Army denied any involvement or knowledge of the incident, leaving the fate of the young individuals uncertain and contributing to the court’s decision to convict the defendants.