TWO STUDENTS ARE SENTENCED TO PRISON BY A COURT FOR AN ALLEGED MURDER AND ROBBERY

Two students, Ugosor Japhet and Gwebe Ageba, were remanded in custody on Monday by a Makurdi Magistrate’s Court on charges of culpable homicide and armed robbery.

Due to a lack of jurisdiction, the magistrate, Mrs. Erdoo Ter, refused to accept the defendants’ plea.

Although further inquiries into their offenses were being made, she ruled that the defendants should remain in custody at Makurdi Correctional Center.

Ter then postponed the matter until April 12 for additional discussion.

The matter was reported by one Erkaa Reuben of Logo II, Akpehe, Makurdi, at “E” Divisional Police Station, Makurdi, on February 21, according to Police Prosecutor Regina Ishaya, who testified in court.

Ishaya claimed that Ugosor Japhet had fraudulently obtained N150,000 as a rent advance from the complainant’s sister, Naomi Erkaa.

She said that the defendant’s bank account number was used to deposit the funds.

The police prosecutor added that the defendant, after receiving the money, conspired with the second defendant and deceitfully enticed the victim to his home under the pretense of handing her the apartment’s keys.

She continued by saying that both defendants attacked the victim with a cutlass as soon as she arrived at the home of the first defendant and gave her significant slashes on her hands, neck, and head, which caused her to bleed to death.

“The defendants then moved the deceased’s corpse covertly, stripped her of her clothes, placed her behind a pile of yam tendrils, and disposed of her iPhone, Itel phone, and cosmetic bag, which had yet-unknown worth.

The offenders were detained and made confessions to committing the crime, she claimed, over the course of the police inquiry.

Ter requested an adjournment of the case to another day for mention, stating that the investigation into the incident was still ongoing.

She claims that the crimes violate Section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Similar Offenses Act of 2006, Sections 97 and 222 of the Criminal Code of the Law of Benue State of 2004, and Section 1(1)(2)(a)(b) of the Robbery and Weapons (Special Provision) Act of 2004.

NAN