An Ebonyi State High Court has sentenced four men, including the cousin of the Ohaukwu Local Government Area Chairman, to death by hanging after finding them guilty of conspiracy and murder.

Justice Esther Otah of the Abakaliki High Court, Ohaukwu Division, delivered the judgment on Thursday, condemning Anthony Elom, Chibueze Onwe, Chief Chukwuemeka Ugah, and Uchenna Odono for the killing of 26-year-old Chinonso Elom Oscar on February 6, 2023.

According to court records, the convicted men, along with one ThankGod Onwe who remains at large, drove a branded political party Sienna bus to Ndulo Umuogudu Akpu road where they confronted the victim near Okwo Ngbo Main Market.

Eyewitnesses testified that the assailants, believed to be members of a secret cult, demanded information about the whereabouts of Chinonso's younger brother with whom they reportedly had a misunderstanding. When Chinonso could not provide this information, they attempted to force him into their vehicle.

Upon his refusal to enter the Sienna, Anthony Elom, also known as "Tidy," shot him in the head with a shotgun, killing him instantly. The murder sparked widespread protests by Ngbo youths who demanded justice.

In her ruling, Justice Otah stated that the evidence provided by the Prosecuting Counsel, including eyewitness testimonies, proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused were responsible for the killing. She added that forensic examination of the recovered weapon confirmed it was last used on February 6, 2023, the day of the murder.

Addressing why all four defendants received the death penalty despite only one pulling the trigger, Justice Otah explained that the killing was an act of conspiracy, making all participants equally culpable under the law.

"Anthony Elom a.k.a Tidy, you will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul," the Judge declared, before pronouncing similar sentences on the three other convicts.

Defense Counsel Barr. Chinedu Uwa expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment and indicated plans to appeal. Meanwhile, Prosecuting Counsel Barr. Oluchi Ibiam of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice and other legal representatives from Ohaukwu Local Government Area expressed satisfaction, stating that the verdict reflected true justice.

Barr. Michael Odo, President of the Amalgamated Ngboejeogu Youth, responded to the judgment with mixed emotions, noting that while the murder highlighted societal decay, the verdict should serve as a deterrent to youths involved in cultism and other criminal activities.

"This judgment does not call for celebration. It is a sad reminder of a terrible decay in our society," Odo stated, adding that the convicted individuals "could have added value to the society but chose the wrong path of criminality."

He further called on political leaders and youths in Ngbo to condemn cultism "in all its ramifications and in the strongest terms," noting that "time is changing fast in Ngbo and cultism is becoming outdated and a nuisance."