It was a judgment day for Theophilus Pius, a 26 years Old commercial motorcylist, as an Ikere-Ekiti High Court sentenced him to death by hanging for killing a youth corps member, Anthonia Okeke in 2008.
The presiding Judge, Justice Adegoriola Adeleye also sentenced Pius, to ten years imprisonment for kidnapping Anthonia, which culminated in her death in the hands of ritualists.
Anthonia, a Chemical Engineering graduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University , Awka, Anambra State, was kidnapped in Ilawe Ekiti in Ekiti Southwest Local Government Area of Ekiti State on December 19, 2008 by Pius and his gang during her service year.
The circumstances of her disappearance led to the death of her father, Pa Raphael Okeke in January 2014.
The late Anthonia was a native of Umuno Ndiuno in Ezeagu local government of Enugu State.
Delivering his judgement on Monday on the six-year old case, Justice Adeleye, said he found the evidence presented by the Director of Public Prosecution from the State Ministry of Justice, Mr Adeleye Familoni against Pius as having probative value and reliable enough to convince him that the accused person was guilty of the case.
“I want to submit that the Prosecution Counsel has been able to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt. He has been able to establish that the Defendant is culpable and no criminal shall go unpunished in the face of law”.
The Judge ruled that Pius should die by hanging, having found him guilty of murder, just as he sentenced him to ten years jail term for his complicity in the kidnap of the late Corps member.
