A Federal High Court in Nyanya, Abuja, has sentenced Obinna Echanu to death by hanging for the murder of an Uber driver identified as Edwin Ali in Abuja.
Echanu was said to have committed the crime on December 26, 2016.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Peter Kekemeke found the 42-year-old Echanu guilty of armed robbery and culpable homicide and consequently convicted him.
However, the judge discharged and acquitted Echanu’s co-accused, Everly Nnorom, 27, for lack of evidence linking him to the alleged crimes.
The police had charged Echanu and Nnorom with five counts of conspiracy, armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and culpable homicide.
Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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In his judgment, Kekemeke held that the first count of conspiracy failed as it was not proved beyond reasonable doubt that Nnorom conspired with Echanu to commit the crime.
In the case of Echanu, the judge held that the police proved counts of armed robbery and culpable homicide preferred against him beyond reasonable doubt.
He, therefore, pronounced a sentence of death by hanging on Echanu on each of the counts.
He equally ordered that a Sienna car and the magnum revolver gun recovered from the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government.
He ordered that the Uber driver’s phone recovered from him (Echanu) should be returned to his family.
The judge also directed that allegation of withdrawal of money from the convict’s account while in police custody should be investigated within one month, adding that those suspected to be culpable should be prosecuted in court.
