Court Sentences Three Cultists To Death, Another To Life Imprisonment Over Murder Of Rivers Pharmacist

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced three persons to death by hanging for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of a pharmacist in Khana Local Government Area of the state.

The convicts, Confidence Kirinee, popularly known as General Illa, Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha, were sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Augusta Chukwu after the court found them guilty of conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping and murder.

In the same judgment, the court sentenced Loveday Legah to life imprisonment for belong­ing to a secret cult group linked to the crime.

Delivering judgment, Justice Chukwu held that the prosecu­tion successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, relying on confessional statements and other evidence presented before the court.

The court heard that the convicts, who were members of the Iceland secret cult group, conspired and kidnapped the vic­tim, Muenalo Sunday, a pharma­cist from Zaakpo community in Khana Local Government Area on March 5, 2019.

According to the judge, the victim was murdered by the convicts who are members of the cult group, after which they severed his head and other body parts.

The remains were later dumped in a pit, while the severed head was reportedly taken to a shrine located in a nearby bush.

When approached outside the courtroom, the counsel to the convicted persons declined to comment on the judgment.

However, the prosecution counsel, Precious Ordu, Chief State Counsel with the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, com­mended the court for what he described as a thorough and diligent judgment, saying it rep­resents justice for both the dead and the living.

Also reacting to the verdict, the widow of the deceased, Pret­ty Neewa-Sunday, expressed satisfaction with the judgment, stating that it would allow the soul of her late husband to rest in peace.