Court Sentences Three to Death for Ubulu-Uku Monarch’s Murder
By Onoriode Etatsemi
IBUSA/Nigeria: The Delta State High Court sitting in Ibusa, presided over by Honourable Justice M. Omovie, has convicted and sentenced three men to death for the murder of the late King of Ubulu-Uku Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Obi Edward Akaelue Ofulue III.
The convicted defendants—Suleiman Musa, Umar Mohammed, and Garba Abubakar Haruna, also known as Dogo—were found guilty of the heinous crime committed on January 6, 2016.
The court arraigned the three men on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit murder, culminating in the murder of the revered monarch. A fourth defendant, Jemilu Ahmed, was also convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison without the option of a fine for receiving stolen property belonging to the late king.
During the trial, the prosecuting team from the State Ministry of Justice, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Anthony Orhorhoro, called five witnesses to testify. Among them was Pastor Charles Afamefuna Ugboh, who was kidnapped alongside the monarch but survived. Pastor Ugboh provided gripping eyewitness testimony, recounting how he and the king were abducted at gunpoint by the defendants and detailing his eventual escape from captivity.
In her judgment, Justice Omovie declared that the prosecution had proven its case against the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt. She sentenced Suleiman Musa, Umar Mohammed, and Garba Abubakar Haruna to death by hanging for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of Obi Edward Akaelue Ofulue III. The court also held Jemilu Ahmed accountable for receiving the monarch’s stolen property, imposing a prison term for his offense.
The tragic events began when the monarch and Pastor Ugboh were abducted along the Obior Road. The late king was held captive before his body was discovered days later in a bush, a grim conclusion to a crime that shocked the Ubulu-Uku Kingdom and its people.
