3 Convicts to Die by Hanging for Cult-Related Murder in Rivers State

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced three persons to death by hanging for the murder of one MUENALO SUNDAY from Zaakpo community in Khana Local Government Area of the state.

The convicts are CONFIDENCE KIRINEE, also known as General ILLA; as well as PRECIOUS MONA and SONIABARI SAGHA. They were found guilty of conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping, and murder of Pharmacist MUENALO SUNDAY on March 5, 2019, in Zaakpo community.

More than six years after the incident, Justice AUGUSTA CHUKWU ruled that the prosecution successfully proved the case of conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping, and murder against CONFIDENCE KIRINEE, PRECIOUS MONA and SONIABARI SAGHA.

Justice CHUKWU also convicted the fourth defendant, LOVEDAY LEGAH for cultism and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The court held that activities of the secret cult group led to the murder of Pharmacist MUENALO SUNDAY from Zaakpo community in Khana Local government Area.

During the trial, the court heard how the defendants, who are members of Iceland secret cult group, conspired, kidnapped and murdered their victim. They also chopped off his head and other body organs, before dumping the remains inside a pit. The severed head of the victim was taken to a shrine in a bush in a neighboring community.

After the court judgment, the defence counsel declined comments when approached by some journalists covering the trial, while the prosecution counsel, PRECIOUS ORDU, who is the Chief State counsel from the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, commended the judge for a thorough job, saying it shows justice to both the death and the living.

The wife of the the murdered pharmacist, PRETTY NEEWA-SUNDAY, was also in court to hear the judgment, and she expressed happiness over the decision, which she said would make the soul of her late husband rest in peace.