Man Sentenced to Death by hanging

A Delta State High Court sitting in Warri has sentenced one Eto Paul Ufuoma to death by hanging over the murder his neighbour, Julius Oforofuo, on June 12, 2000. Justice Marshall Mukoro who handed down the sentence, however, discharged and acquitted the second and third accused persons, Samson Edorh and Akpoghene Edeno for lack of evidence linking them to the offence.

Ufuoma, who claimed to be studying Accountancy at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, committed the act following minor disagreement with the deceased over a pair of shoes kept in the deceased’s custody by the convict’s elder brother.
Ufuoma was said to be in the habit of wearing his elder brother’s clothes and shoes without his consent, a situation that made the elder brother to keep the said shoes in the deceased’s custody to prevent Ufuoma from having easy access to it. Trouble started when the late Oforofuo on the fateful morning of the incident got what he did not bargained for.
The convict stormed his apartment and forcefully demanded for the release of the canvass shoes. The deceased’s refusal to produce the said shoes led to a brawl which was later settled by neighbours who pleaded with the convict for calm. Not satisfied, Ufuoma was said to have staged a comeback in the evening of the fateful day and attacked the deceased who was bathing in a public bathroom at the time.
The assailant attacked the defenceless Oforofuo with broken bottles and stabbed him severally on different parts of his body. Oforofuo bleeded profusely and was later confirmed dead at the Oleh General Hospital where he was rushed to for medical attention.

Culled from Sun