An Edo High Court sitting in Benin and presided over by Justice Irele-Ifijeh has sentenced three persons to death by hanging for armed robbery, kidnapping and murder of one Ephraim Akhere.

The convicts, whose names were given as Solomon Abuede, James Monday and Kelvin Edward were sentenced to death for armed robbery, kidnapping and the murder of Ephraim Akhere in Ihumudumun quarters in Ekpoma, the headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

Justice Ifijeh, also sentenced one Oviasogie Sunday, alias Alhaji of Kano to life imprisonment for receiving an Infinity Jeep with registration number EFR 218 FB, property of the late Ephraim which was stolen after the murder.

The convicts were among the six persons arraigned before Justice Irele-Ifijeh in suit number: HEK/25c/24 on a six-count charge of armed robbery, kidnapping, conspiracy and receipt of stolen property.

The court, however, discharged two other accused, David Williams and Monday Ozomo, for lack of evidence linking them to the armed robbery and kidnapping.

In her judgment, Justice Ifijeh ruled that the kidnappers rode on a motorcycle, armed with dangerous weapons, kidnapped their victims and asked Ephraim, the driver and Sandra to move to the back seat and lower their heads while Solomon took over the driver’s seat.

The Judge averred that the convicts thereafter drove to the bank while two of them stayed with their victims inside the car.

She added that the other went to the bank with Ephraim’s ATM card to withdraw money from his account.

She stated that after the withdrawal, the convicts were said to have driven to an uncompleted building where one of them named Solomon Abuede threw Ephraim into a well after giving him rat poison to swallow, while the girl was given the option of jumping into the well or eating the rat poison.

The judge, further said that Solomon who provided the rat poison later spared the girl’s life but raped her instead.

The judge further added that James Monday who was said to have provided the gun used for the operation and Monday Ozomo took the Infinity Jeep and two other stolen vehicles to Kano where Oviasogie paid 420,000 naira for the Infinity Jeep out of the agreed 500,000 naira.

In a 91-page judgement, Justice Irele-Ifijeh held that the confessional statements of Solomon Abuede, James Monday and Kelvin Edward that they participated in the armed robbery were corroborated by the evidence of one Sandra, a prosecution witness who was in the same vehicle and kidnapped along with the late Ephraim.

The judge, who said the offences were committed on June 13, 2014, averred that the conviction of the three persons was in line with Section 3 of the Kidnapping Prohibition Amendment Law of Edo State 2013 and the Armed Robbery and Firearms Act.