In a significant ruling, a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has handed down death sentences to five individuals convicted of murdering Umezuruike Alex, the commander of a local vigilante group known as OSPAC (Onelga Security Peace and Advisory Committee) in Omudioga community, Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
The court ordered that the convicts be hanged or receive lethal injection until their death is confirmed. Okechukwu Orji from Atali community, Obio-Akpor; Igwe Promise, Iheanyi Igwe, and Morrison Igwe from Omudioga, Emohua LGA; and Goodness Monday from Akwa Ibom State were found guilty on 10 counts including conspiracy, cultism, murder, and illegal possession of firearms.
Justice Sika Aprioku, the trial judge, acquitted the sixth defendant, Alex Deiwe, but convicted the others based on evidence presented by the prosecution counsel, Essien Edet. The court concluded that the convicts not only killed the OSPAC commander but were also involved in kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state.
Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, Edet, the prosecution counsel and legal officer at the Rivers State Police Command, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, describing it as justice served. He emphasized that the judgment would serve as a deterrent to others engaged in similar crimes.
The former OSPAC commander was brutally murdered and dismembered by cultists in 2021, reportedly due to his role in thwarting their criminal activities in the area. The court’s decision marks a significant step towards ensuring justice for the victim and sending a clear message against such heinous acts.
