The Ebonyi State High Court has sentenced four men to death by hanging for the murder of 26-year-old Chinonso Elom, popularly known as Oscar. The gruesome killing occurred on February 5, 2023, in Ngbo community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area.
According to eyewitnesses, the convicted individuals—Anthony Elom (a.k.a Tidy), Chibueze Onwe (a.k.a Chief), Chukwuemeka Ugah (a.k.a Parity), and Uchenna Odono—alongside an accomplice still at large, ThankGod Onwe, ambushed Elom near Okwo Ngbo Main Market. The assailants, reportedly cult members, demanded information about Elom’s younger brother, with whom they had a prior dispute. When he failed to comply, they attempted to force him into a branded Sienna bus before Anthony Elom shot him in the head.
Justice Esther Otah, delivering the judgment, stated that forensic evidence and witness testimonies proved the defendants’ guilt beyond reasonable doubt. She emphasized that all four shared "common intention" in the crime, making them equally liable. “The fact that one of them pulled the trigger does not absolve the others,” she declared.
The murder had sparked massive protests in Ngbo, with youths demanding justice. Police later arrested the four, while ThankGod Onwe remains at large.
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