The conviction of Cynthia Osokogu’s killers

ON Thursday, March 23 this year, nearly five years after they lured a postgraduate student of the Nasarawa State University, Cynthia Osokogu, from Nasarawa to Lagos before strangling her to death at a hotel in Festac Town on July 22, 2012, one Okwumo Nwabufo and his nephew, Olisaeloka Ezike, were sentenced to death by hanging by a Lagos State High Court. They were also found guilty of  conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit felony by stealing, and stealing a Blackberry phone, and sentenced accordingly to 20 years’ imprisonment each. The murder trial had begun on February 8, 2013, with the state calling the hotel’s receptionist as its first witness.

Delivering judgment in the case, Justice Olabisi Akinlade said the accused deserved the death sentence as they had not shown remorse for their action, and had  treated the court to a cocktail of lies after making confessional statements to the police.  Nwabufo, who said that Osokogu was his fiancee and that he planned to introduce her to his father, could not tell the deceased’s birthday or her home town, under cross-examination. The judge averred: “Justice is not only for the victim but also for the society at large. The law says anyone found guilty of committing murder shall be sentenced to death. This court is not in a position to change the provision of the law. The evidence of the prosecution remains uncontroverted and relies mainly on the testimonies of witnesses. The court is satisfied that the confessional statements were not given under duress and admitted them in evidence. A confession is sufficient to gain conviction. The confessional statement of the accused is consistent with the state of the body and consistent with the medical evidence. I shall act on it accordingly.”

Two other suspects who were charged with reckless and negligent acts and with possession of stolen property, namely Orji Osita, a pharmacist who sold Ropynol, the drug used on the deceased, and Ezike Nonso, the brother of the second defendant, were however discharged and acquitted by the court. The 25-year-old Osokogu had been lured to Lagos by Nwabufo, 37, whom she met on Facebook and who had made a false promise to help her procure goods at cheap prices in Lagos. In an act of utter bestiality, Nwabufo had drugged and murdered her at Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Festac Town, with the assistance of his nephew, Ezike. He had chained and  gagged her with a cellotape, tying her hands behind her back. The hapless lady died of asphyxiation caused by the blocking of her airways with a cloth held in place by the cellotape.

Without precluding the right of the convicts to appeal, it must be said that their conviction has brought closure, at least for now, to the gruesome story of a young lady lured to her death through utter carelessness on the social media. All too often these days, people lay bare on the social media, intimate details of their life that should ordinarily not be available to the general public. In a nation where millions cannot afford a decent meal, those fortunate enough to be able to cruise in ships or eat at the best restaurants around the world upload pictures of their every move onto  the internet. The time-honoured values of modesty and circumspection are sacrificed on the altar of cyber presence. Unknown to many, particularly youths, there is often a vast difference between e-people and real people. Indeed, young Nigerians in particular must draw invaluable lessons from the present story and be wary of the friends and followers that they meet on the social media, who may turn out to be monsters in real life. While it is not here being suggested that life on the social media or indeed the entire cyberspace is necessarily unreal, there is no doubt that a little self introspection and circumspection will benefit every digitally-compliant citizen.

Allied to the need for safety consciousness on cyberspace is the need to embrace the values of patience and hard work, and to shun the get-rich-quick syndrome embraced by the current generation of youths. The killers of Osokogu were evidently driven by the craze for easy money, and may initially not have planned to terminate her life. But they did. Sadly, in popular culture, many of the musicians that the youths love to listen to often advocate pernicious values, giving the impression that not “making it big” in time is an unpardonable crime. The pernicious messages may be buried beneath a maze of fast-paced lyrics and alluring beats, but they do the inevitable damage with time. There is thus a need to take a hard look at this aspect of the social life. In addition, the political leadership should lead by example.

For youths who may be nurturing similar intents as those that have landed Okwumo Nwabufo and Olisaeloka Ezike in trouble, the lessons should be very clear: the wheels of justice turn slowly but grind exceedingly fine. They should bear the point in mind that, apart from bringing opprobrium upon themselves and, sadly, their families, they will eventually pay the supreme price for such acts. In this connection, we urge parents to be very close to their children and to impart to them the right values. The consequences of parental failure are too grim to even contemplate.

Once again, we commiserate with the Osokogu family for all the pain that they have been through. May Cynthia’s soul rest in sweet repose.