Man sentenced to death by hanging for murdering 18-year-old after sexual assault
A High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, has sentenced Boniface Abraham Edigbo, a 30-year-old man, to death by hanging for the murder of Ogbonna Joshua, an 18-year-old SS2 student, following a sexual assault.
The deceased was a student at Community Secondary School, Amachi, in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The convict poisoned the victim on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at a hotel, after their last sexual encounter the previous night, Monday, May 22, 2023.
Justice Ruth Okeh found Boniface Abraham Edigbo guilty of the offence and handed down the death sentence by hanging.
The prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Ijeoma Mike-Ajanwachukwu, welcomed the judgment, emphasizing that it would serve as a deterrent to others committing such heinous crimes in society.
It was revealed during the trial that the sexual relationship between Edigbo and the deceased had caused Ogbonna Joshua to suffer anal problems. The relationship reportedly began in 2021.
In early 2023, they made a pact not to disclose their relationship to anyone. However, when the deceased began experiencing health issues, he confided in the school principal and some students, causing the matter to become public.
The convict allegedly lured the victim to Edigbo Guest House, where they spent the night of Monday, May 22, 2023.
According to court proceedings, on Tuesday, May 23, Edigbo mixed Sniper insecticide into a bottle of Fanta drink and gave it to the victim, who drank it and subsequently died.
After the victim’s death, Edigbo left the hotel and reported the incident to a woman, claiming he did not intend to kill the boy but acted after the deceased revealed their relationship to others.
The woman advised him to wait while she got money to help him leave the state, but instead, she alerted local youths who apprehended Edigbo and brought him back to the guest house, where they found the victim lying lifeless in room 006.
