Three to die by hanging in Rivers for killing Soboma George-Court
The State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has sentenced three persons to death by hanging for killing a former Niger Delta militant leader, Soboma George and a groundnut seller, Joy John-Ejims.
The court ruled that Dougbra Ogbe, Emmanuel Gladstone and Bere Matthew, were guilty of conspiracy and murder and condemned them, the Nation reports.
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Justice George Omereji, who delivered the judgement that lasted for two hours after 10 years of legal battle at the court directed that the convicts should be tied on their necks till they were confirmed dead.
Omereji submitted that the prosecution was able to prove the case beyond every reasonable doubts, especially with the evidence of the eyewitness, who also suffered bullet wound during the attack that led to Soboma’s death.
He said the confessional statements by the defendants that they killed Soboma because he wanted them dead for refusing to kill former Governor Rotimi Amaechi and his deputy further indicted them.
The prosecution lawyer, Ipalibo Karibo-Botoye, said he was happy that the court served justice after 10 years of the legal battle.
Karibo-Botoye said: “We are happy that ten years after the murder of George justice has come to stay. It is a thing of joy that the court saw that we proved our case. If they go on appeal we are ready to defend this case to logical conclusion. This is justice for the family.”
Daily Times reports that Soboma George was one of the most dreaded Niger Delta militants. The gunmen of a rival gang drove in a black SUV to the alleged murder site.
George was killed in August 2010 at the Bathus Field in the Borkiri area, old Port Harcourt
Soboma, 30, until his death led a cult gang known as the “Outlaws” and was a well-known commander of MEND. In 2007, a joint military operation claimed it had tracked and killed George but he later re-emerged and dispelled the rumors. George was one of the militant gang leaders to embrace Yar’adua’s Amnesty in August 2009.
