Chief priest, 2 others to die for murder

By Gabriel Enogholase, Benin
A BENIN chief priest, Felix Osadolor, alias Afro, has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Benin High Court presided over by the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Cromwell Idahosa, over the murder of fellow chief, Sunday Ahanon.

Ahanon, the Eson of Benin, was murdered in Benin by gunmen on November 15, 2005.

Also sentenced to death by hanging along with Osadolor are Ogbemudia Omoruyi and Oluwafemi Aihevbva for their involvement in the death of the chief.

The court, however, discharged and acquitted three other persons, Messers Alex Oritseje, Uwaifo Iguodala and Kindness Emwanta, who were charged alongside them on the grounds that there was no strong and credible evidence linking them with the offence.

Delivering judgment in the case, Idahosa held that there was sufficient evidence linking Osadolor, Omoruyi and Aihevba with the murder.

The court held that though conspiracy was not necessarily aimed at seeing the suspects together to commit the crime, it could be inferred from the acts of the suspects ,just as it noted that while Osadolor gave evidence that Ahanon was his friend and their aged long differences settled, the same Osadolor, in his statement to the police, made unpalatable utterances against the deceased.