A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced three people – Confidence Kirinee, popularly called General Illa, Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha – to death by hanging.

The court, presided over by Justice Augusta Chukwu, also convicted Loveday Legal and sentenced him to life imprisonment for belonging to a secret cult group whose activities led to the murder of a pharmacist, Muenalo Sunday, from Zaakpo community in Khana Local Government Area of the state.

Justice Chukwu convicted and sentenced Kirinee, Mona and Sagha to death by hanging for conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping and murder of the pharmacist, Sunday, in an incident which happened on 5 March 2019 in Zaakpo community.

Delivering her judgement, Justice Chukwu held that the prosecution proved the case of conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping and murder against the convicts beyond a reasonable doubt.

The judge ruled that, with confessional statements and the evidence before the court, the suspects, who are members of the Iceland secret cult, actually conspired, kidnapped and murdered their victim, cut off his head and other sensitive organs and later dumped the remains inside a pit, while the head was taken to their shrine in a bush in a neighbouring community.

She held that Loveday Legal should spend his entire life in prison, while Kirinee (popularly called General Illa), Mona and Sagha should be hanged by the neck until they are confirmed dead.

After the judgment, counsel for the convicts declined comment on the verdict.

The prosecution counsel, Precious Ordu, Chief State Counsel from the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, commended the judge for a thorough job, which he described as proof of justice to both the dead and the living.

On her part, the widow of the deceased, Pretty Neewa-Sunday, expressed happiness over the judgment, saying it would make the soul of her late husband rest in peace. (The Sun)