Man sentenced to death for killing family friend’s wife

The Anambra State High Court in Idemili Judicial Division on Monday sentenced a man named Ikechukwu Okoye to death by hanging. He was found guilty of murdering his family friend's wife and stealing her belongings.

Judge A.O. Okuma convicted Mr Okoye of murder and theft.

While giving the judgement, the judge rejected the convict’s claim of self-defence.

The court ruled that the charge of armed robbery could not stand because Mr Okoye killed the victim before he planned to steal her items.

Earlier, the prosecution, led by Victoria Ononye-Ekwerekwu, a chief state counsel, along with Florence Abadom-Igweike and Nkiru Nzekwu, both principal state counsels, told the court that Mr Okoye went to the home of Blessing Mba. This happened at Abime Village, Oba, on 22 February 2024, where he intended to steal a grinding machine.

The prosecution said an argument broke out between Mr Okoye and Mrs Mba. During this fight, Mr Okoye hit her on the head with a pestle, which led to her death.

They added that Mr Okoye then moved Mrs Mba’s body into her children’s room, covered it with their clothes, and took her grinding machine and generator.

After that, he rode a commercial motorcycle to Afor Oba Market with the stolen items.

According to the prosecution, Mrs Mba’s husband, who had taken their children to school earlier, saw Mr Okoye on the motorcycle carrying his wife’s grinding machine and generator.

When he returned home, he found his wife’s lifeless body in the children’s room. He immediately alerted security operatives, who later arrested Mr Okoye at Afor Oba Market with the stolen items.

In his defence, Mr Okoye denied the crime. He also rejected his earlier statement where he confessed to the offence and claimed he acted in self-defence.