A State High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Friday sentenced a 38-year-old cultist, Diepreye Sunday Olayo, to death by hanging for murder.
The court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ogola found Olayo guilty of murdering Being Ilebiri on September 6, 2011 along Ebis Mechanic road, Amarata, Yenagoa.
Olayo said to be a member of Greenlanders secret cult reportedly shot dead Ilebiri, who was a member of a rival cult group, the Bobos.
The prosecutor, Andrew Seweniowor Arthur, tendered the confessional statement of the accused and 13 witnesses.
He argued that the case had been proved beyond reasonable doubt that Olayo committed the offence on that fateful day.
Justice Ogola in his judgment asked the two parties to seek redress in a higher court if they disagreed with his ruling.
The judge said he inherited the case upon assumption of duties in the court.
According to him, he admitted the two confessional statements of the accused person since there was no sufficient proof to indicate that the statements were extracted undue duress as claimed by the accused person.
He said: “I therefore find the accused guilty of murdering the deceased and I convict him for murder. This is one of the difficult aspect but we are here to do a job. I hereby sentenced the accused to death.”
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