Court sentences two to death for killing priest in Benue

A High Court sitting in Makurdi yesterday sentenced to death by hanging two people for killing Otukpo Catholic Vicar, Rev Fr John Adeyi.

The priest was kidnapped on 26 April 2016 while returning from a mass in Orokamu in Ogbadibo local government area of Benue state and going to Okpokwu his base.

The attackers after collected N1.5m ransom later killed him and abandoned him in the forest.

Delivering Judgment yesterday Justice Andove Kaakan on who found the two guilty sentenced them to death.

Justice Kaakan while delivering judgment said that the prosecution which called eight witnesses proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

The case which was filed by the Inspector General of Police, has the two convicts, Suleiman Goma (30yearals) and Haruna Idi (32years) both from Orokamu in Ogbadibo local government area of the state.

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The presiding judge said that all evidence before him proved that the convicts conspired and killed the priest who they took to Okungaga forest in Okpokwu where they demanded N2million ransom and they eventually killed him after collecting N1.5m.

The judge said that three guns made up of two pistols and Dane gun as well as charm were recorded from the convicts at the forest where they killed the priest.

Justice Kaakan said that the first convict Suleiman Goma in his in his extrajudicial statement admitted that he bought the gun for the purpose of commuting armed robbery and kidnapping.