20 May 2019
APPEAL Court siting in Calabar on Thursday confirmed a High Court jugement that sentenced a former Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation staff, Godwin Elewana to death by hanging for murder.
Mr Elwana in suit No. CA/C/278C/2018 had appealed against the ruling of Calabar High Court which sentenced him to death for allegedly shooting twenty two year old student, Douglas Ojugbo said to be the boyfriend of his daughter to death in March 2015.
Reading the ruling of the Appeal Court onbehalf of three other judges, Justice Y. Nimpar said the court having gone through all the evidence and addresses by the counsels to both parties finds the judgement of the lower court credible and therefore valid before the law.
The presiding judge of High Court Nine , Calabar Justice Ebitam in his ruling that found the man guilty in 2018 said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He listed the several confessional statements, hospital reports and exhibits presented in the course of trial as reasons the accused was convicted.
“the prosecution team also proved their second ingredient of the murder which was the intentional act. To have fired the victim twice with his pump action gun, I agree that the killing was intentional and I hereby find accused person guilty of murder.
‘subject to section 319 of the Criminal Code of Cross River State, any person who commits murder is sentenced to death by hanging”
Emmanuel Unah
