A man identified as Bestman Lekia, aka Biggie, has been sentenced to death by hanging for killing four persons and using their intestines to prepare a meal in a community in Khana Local Council of Rivers state.
Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt sentenced and convicted Biggie on Friday.
Lekia and others, now at large, were reported to have killed Gbodu Nobaale, Etim Ekpe, Nenalebarri Mmeabe, and Loveday Mmeabe.
Lekia and his cohorts first kidnapped and took the victims to a place, where they were killed and their intestines used to prepare plantain meal in Okwalie community in Khana area in 2019.
The trial judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, in his judgment, found Lekia guilty of murder, kidnapping, cultism, and armed robbery.
He said that the prosecution counsel proved his case with the necessary evidence and presentations.
Justice Enebeli said even Lekia’s attitude throughout his trial proved that “he is a hardened criminal, cultist, and terror, who if possible, is supposed to be hung four times and die four times.”
He ruled that the defendant should be hung on his neck until he is confirmed dead.
The state prosecution counsel, Chidi Ekeh described the judgment as a “hard-nosed” and erudite judgment that would save both the Ogoni community and Rivers State.
Ekeh said although he is not happy that somebody’s life would be taken, he insisted that the law and state would have failed, if they had allowed the convict to go free without facing justice.
He said: “Lekia was the only one arrested. His cohorts disappeared and are still at large today.
“The court has delivered its judgment, convicting him and sentencing him to death by hanging until he is confirmed dead.
“As a human being, I do not take delight in the fact that he is going to die, but I feel happy that the law and the state did not fail the people. The law and state would have failed, if they had allowed this man to go scot-free.”
