A High Court in Anambra State has handed a death sentence to a commercial tricycle rider, Makua Ezike, after convicting him for his role in the death of a passenger during a robbery operation.
The verdict, delivered by Justice Lauretta Oyeka, followed the court’s finding that Ezike was responsible for the death of Jude Onwuegbuchunam, an indigene of Umuoji in Idemili North Local Government Area.
The court heard that the incident occurred in November 2019 along the Oba–Obosi–Nkpor–Umuoji axis, where Ezike and other members of his gang allegedly operated a “one-chance” syndicate disguised as commercial transport operators.
According to evidence presented during the trial, the victim boarded the tricycle believing it was a regular commercial ride. However, he was allegedly targeted for robbery by Ezike and his accomplices during the trip.
Prosecutors told the court that when Onwuegbuchunam resisted attempts to dispossess him of his valuables and raised an alarm, he was pushed from the moving tricycle.
The suspects reportedly fled after the incident, abandoning the vehicle while being pursued by local vigilante operatives. Ezike was later arrested when he returned to recover the tricycle and was subsequently handed over to law enforcement authorities.
The victim sustained critical injuries from the fall and died shortly afterwards.
During the proceedings, the prosecution relied on testimony from five witnesses, including a medical practitioner whose post-mortem examination linked the victim’s death to the injuries suffered during the attack.
In reaching her decision, Justice Oyeka ruled that the evidence before the court established the defendant’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. She noted that although there was no direct eyewitness account of the killing, the combination of circumstantial evidence, the defendant’s confession and medical findings provided a strong basis for conviction.
The court consequently found Ezike guilty of murder and ordered that he be executed by hanging.
