Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
An Abia State High Court sitting in Ukwa, has sentenced to death by hanging, two former members of Abia vigilante group popularly known as Bakassi Boys, for alleged kidnap and murder.
The judgment was delivered by Justice Chibuzo Ahuchaogu of Abia High Court sitting in Ukwa.
The convicts – Ugochukwu Amaugo, and Udo Ogah, were found guilty of an alleged conspiracy, kidnap and murder which occurred on the 30th of August, 2014.
They were said to have allegedly arrested two young men, Temple Nwakanma, and Martins Azih, around Osisioma area of Aba, for alleged unlawful possession of firearms, cartridges and knives.
Meanwhile, they claimed to have headed with the suspects for their head office in Umuahia, but handed over the suspects to some Army personnel on road check on the Port Harcourt Expressway way.
They claimed that the military personnel whose identity they could not provide, requested that the suspects be handed over to them.
But the Nigerian Army has since denied any knowledge of the said incident.
The whereabouts of the suspects had remained unknown since the incident occurred about 10 years ago.
Angered by the development, family members of the suspects approached the court in search of justice for the missing suspects.
Justice Ahuchaogu, while delivering judgment on the matter, said the convicts should be hanged for failing to prove beyond every reasonable doubt that they had handed the boys to men of the Nigeria Army and as such knew nothing about their disappearance.
