Three police officers in Anambra were given life sentences. Three police officers in Anambra were given life sentences.
The 42-year-old man, who was from Mbosi in the state’s Ihiala Local Government Area, was believed to have been killed by the prisoners as they attempted to arrest him for a reported attack and intentional damage. The incident occurred on May 14, 2016, in the Onitsha Judicial Division and at No. 13 Ibe Street, East Niger Layout, Okpoko, in the state’s Ogbaru Local Government Area.
The incident occurred on May 14, 2016, in the Onitsha Judicial Division and at No. 13 Ibe Street, East Niger Layout, Okpoko, in the state’s Ogbaru Local Government Area.
Following the event, it was reported that Juliet Ekwueme, Ugochukwu Obiakor, and Raphael Chike—the former police officers—had been fired from the Nigeria Police Force.
Judge A.O. Okuma presided over the court on Wednesday, which declared that the prosecution had shown all of the claims against the accused to be true beyond a reasonable doubt and that they were guilty of the murder and conspiracy counts that had been brought against them. According to Justice Okuma, the allegations were against the Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991, as amended, and specifically infringed Sections 495(a) and 274(I) of the Criminal Code Cap 36 Volume II.
All three of them were found guilty and given life sentences for manslaughter and seven years in jail for conspiracy. With the Fiat of the Anambra State Attorney General, Trulaw Chambers prosecuted the matter with the help of her Principal Counsel, C.J. Okeke Esq. The Prosecutor, Okeke, responded to the verdict by calling it “yet another win” and a clear reminder that justice is still tenable in the proper hands.
In the same way that the attorneys for the second defendant, C.E. Ezenwa Esq., and the third defendant, C.J. Agbata, stated they required a copy of the judgment to decide their future course of action, the first defendant’s attorney, G.A. Oluwatuase, declared he will appeal the judgment on behalf of his client.
An important turning point in the struggle for justice and accountability in Nigeria has been reached with the conviction and sentencing of the three former police officers implicated in Chukwunonso Uchenwoke’s murder. It serves as a reminder that nobody is above the law and that anyone who violate the public trust will face consequences for their actions. As we consider this matter, let us once again pledge to create a society in which each person’s rights and dignity are respected and safeguarded.
