You are here: HomeAfricaBBC2023 06 06Article 1781339

BBC Pidgin of Tuesday, 6 June 2023

Source: BBC

Pastor sentenced to death by hanging for killing im pregnant mistress, two odas

File foto File foto

One Rivers State High Court for Port Harcourt don sentence di presiding pastor of a new generation Church, Chidiebere Okoroafor, to death by hanging for multiple murders.

Pastor Okoroafor, wey be di General Overseer of Altar of Solution and Healing Assembly for Oyigbo, Rivers State, stand trial for killing im choir mistress, Concilia Ezenwa, wey im allegedly give belle.

Di Pastor also dey face murder charges for di killing Uluoma Onweagba, Concilia Ezenwa friend, and her nine months old baby girl, Christabel, on 11 December, 2017, also for Oyigbo LGA, Rivers State.

Trial judge, Justice S.O Benson, for im judgement say di evidence and confessional statements from di pastor show say true true, e commit di crime.

Justice Benson say di prosecution prove di case of murder against di pastor and give order for dem to kill am by hanging on im neck until im die or make dem inject am with lethal injection wey also dey kill faster.

How di incident happen?

Na for 11 December 2017, di crime happen wen di pastor kill Ezenwa for one uncompleted building and Onweagba for one bush.

Onweagba bin dey five month pregnant and also carry anoda baby for her back, and di pikin die from hitting her head wen di pastor push Onweagba for ground.

Okoroafor commit di offense to cover up im affair wit im 25-year-old choir mistress, Concilia Ezenwa wey bin get belle for and she refuse to abort am.

Di victims' families report di disappearance of di pastor victims wen dem no return after dem go visit di pastor house for Oyigbo to discuss how dem go handle di said pregnancy wey Concilia carry - wen im trick dem into a bush and kill dem for two different locations.

Afta community members and police search for dem, dem go discover di decomposing corpses of Onweagba and her baby for one bush along Afam-lgberu Road on 13 December, 2017.

Ezenwa corpse dem discover on 18 December, 2017, for one uncompleted building for Izuoma Community, Oyigbo.

For 2018, Pastor Chidiebere Okoroafor bin dey arraigned bifor Magistrate Kariba Braide on three count charge of murder for suit No. PMC/456c/2018, for strangling im pregnant lover, Concilia Ezenwa, to hide dia affair as well as killing two odas, Uluoma Onweagba and her nine-month-old baby,

Di 32 year old pastor, wey be preacher at Altar of Solution Church for Oyigbo, bin dey remanded in prison to face trial at di high court.

‘Di Court misconceive di law’ - Pastor Okoroafor lawyer

While di prosecution counsel from di Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Precious Ordu, express happiness over di judgement, lawyer to di defendant, Dr Innocent Ekwu, say im and im team go appeal di judgement, as di court ‘misconceive di law’.

Ekwu say, “Di court hold say eyewitness no dey wey see wetin happun, not even one throughout di trial.

"Di court also hold say no circumstantial evidence dey wey link di fellow to di murder. But di court convict am of murder on account of im confessional statements.

"We, as counsel to di defendant, don decide to appeal di case. We go file our notice of appeal as quickly as possible becos we get grounds wey we believe say di defendant no commit di offence.

“And so di trial court misapprehend di facts and also misconceive di law,” na so Ekwu tok.

But di Proscution lawyer Ordu note say dem receive several threats during di course of di trial, and so dem dey happy say justice don prevail as e say, "Justice dey served to di state, di complainant, and di convict.

"Dis go serve as a deterrent to all those wey intend to commit di same offence becos na justice for all.”

Ordu also appreciate di International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA Rivers State, wey bin bring up di case before di State take over.