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Aba (Abia) — A High Court in Aba, Abia, yesterday, sentenced a 30-year-old man to death by hanging for kidnapping and murdering his victim...

Loveday Ahuchaogu, the kidnapper from Umuawa in Isiala-Ngwa Local Government Area of the state and others still at large, were facing a four-count charge for kidnapping and murdering Mr. Francis Ajayi on July 28, 2008, at Umudike in Ikwuano, near Umuahia.

Ahuchaogu was charged with kidnapping, murder, conspiracy and robbery.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Theresa Uzokwe, in her judgment, ruled that the accused was found guilty of the offences as charged and gave Ahuchaogu seven years imprisonment with hard labour for conspiracy and 10 years with hard labour for kidnapping.

The accused also got 10 years with hard labour for robbery and was condemned to death by hanging for murder...

Mrs. Ngozi Obioma, Director of Legal Services in charge of the Public Prosecution Division of Abia State Ministry of Justice, Aba Out-station, who is the lead prosecuting counsel, told newsmen shortly after the court sitting that it was a fair judgment.

Obioma said that Ahuchaogu’s defence was flimsy and frivolous against the weight and gravity of evidence against him as adduced by the prosecution.

She said the evidence against the accused was overwhelming as he was caught red-handed in the banking hall on camera while trying to cash the third tranche of the ransom money.

She said Ahuchaogu, who admitted collecting two other tranches of the ransom money, was also implicated through the SIM card of the deceased that was tendered as exhibit.

“It is my belief that justice is seen to have been done today, everybody in Abia, particularly Aba and environs, will agree that the menace of kidnapping has been on the increase, creating fears on residents.

“It will also serve as a deterrent to others who may be nursing the idea of embarking on such dangerous escapade,” Obioma said.

Mr I.U. Nwokocha, Counsel to the accused, however, pleaded for leniency for his client.

There was confusion Tuesday at Okegbala, Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State as four year old Akin Akinola’s body was found hanging in his home with residents wondering what went wrong..

It was gathered that the mother of the boy, Mrs. Nike Akinola, had gone to the market earlier that day to buy fruits for sale at the Adeyemi College of Education, leaving the boy and her other children behind under the care of a lady.

Akin, a Primary 1 pupil of St Agnes Primary School, Okegbala, Ondo, was said to be later found hanging in his mother’s room. The boy, according to sources, did not go to school that day because he wanted to change his old school uniform. It was gathered that Akinola was said to have earlier that day bought a sachet of milk from a nearby shop. When he got home, he was said to have entered his mother’s room and did not come out until some people were said to have entered the room where they discovered his body hanging. An alarm was raised to attract other residents to the scene. Police Public Relations Officer for Ondo State Command Mr Aremu Adeniran vowed to uncover those behind the incident. He said some suspects had already been arrested over the incident by state CID. The house has in the meantime been sealed off by the police...

In a related development, five year old Feranmi Oloyede was also found hanging on a tree at the back of his home at Moferere in Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State Friday.

The St Louis Nursery and Primary School, Ikere-Ekiti primary one pupil was said to be playing with a rope tied to a tree branch, having climbed a table under the tree. The leg slipped and he got hanged, reports said.