Anambra State High Court of Otuocha Judicial Division has sentenced two brothers, Hyacinth Onwurah and Jerry Onwurah, to death by hanging or by firing squad.
The court holding at Onitsha and presided over by Justice Tagbo Anieto found the brothers guilty of murdering their cousin, Nnalue Onwurah, and attempted murder of his son.
The defendants also set Nnalue’s house located at Odeh community in Anambra West Local Government Area, on fire.
The court delivering judgement in a 4-count charge brought against the defendants which bordered on conspiracy to commit murder, murder, attempted murder and arson, resolved issues for determination against the defendants.
Having convicted them, the two brothers were to 7 years imprisonment for count 1, life imprisonment for counts 3 and 4, while count 2 attracted death sentence.
The defendants, including Sunday Onwurah who died during trial, had pleaded not guilty to the offences alleging that the Prosecution Witness 1 and chief in the community instigated the Police against them.
Five witnesses testified against the defendants, including Nnalue’s wife, who accused the defendants of coming to their house with dangerous weapons around 8pm on 12th February 2022, attacked and assaulted her husband, as well as attempted to kill their son.
The Prosecution Witness 1 had told the court that the first defendant (a former police officer) used teargas to disperse members of the Odeh community who came to rescue Nnalue and his son.
According to him, Nnalue was already dead and the son severely injured when the defendants intended to set them ablaze.
The defendants he told the court later threw Nnalue’s corpse into the River Niger before it was later retrieved.
