BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
A High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State has sentenced an apprentice, Lucky Godwin, to death by hanging for stabbing a woman to death inside a hotel room in Abakaliki.
He was accused of stealing a baby belonging to the deceased after stabbing her to death and selling the two-year-old baby girl in Akwukabi Etche, Rivers State.
The accused brought the deceased and her two-year-old child from Enugu State and they both lodged at Crown garden hotel, Abakaliki, where he allegedly killed the woman with a knife provided for him by the hotel gateman, Monday Onwe who collected N30, 000 to assist Godwin in the act and escaped from Abakaliki after the incident.
The lady’s decomposing body was however found days after the murder which occurred in 2018.
The accused also attempted to murder a heavily pregnant woman, Chisom Ugwu by stabbing her in a bush behind Girls’ High School, Azuiyikowu in Abakaliki and also stole her two year old baby.
The incident occurred on 06/11/2018. Chisom Ugwu was found in a coma in a bush behind Azuiyiokwu girl’s high school close to the Crown Garden Hotel he stabbed the other lady to death
Chisom Ugwu was stabbed on her neck, abdomen and back and was bleeding profusely. She was however rescued by police operatives and taken to Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, for medical treatment.
Delivering judgment on the matter, the trial Judge, Justice Ihenachor Chima sentenced Godwin to death by hanging.
Principal State Counsel, Mrs. Ijeoma Aja-Nwachukwu, appreciated the Court for the judgment. “Like the court, rightly said, an Eye for an Eye.
According to the judgment by the court, he will be hanged to pay for his actions. He needs to pay with his life as he has taken the life of that young woman.
“The child of the deceased and that of Chisom Ugwu were recovered including the accused person’s son that he sold at Echie local government area of River state.
“The second defendant was set free as according to the law once there is an element of doubt it ends in favor of the defendant.
“Yes, Lucky said the second defendant (Monday Onwe) was the person that assisted him according to his statement to the police but in court he denied it, saying he was just seeing him for the first time. The incident happened in 2018 and we filed information in 2019, so the case lasted for three years.
“We need to be careful who we move with, like this deceased woman nobody could identify her, even the daughter that was recovered is still with the ministry of women affairs,” she stated.
Counsel to Lucky Godwin, Marcel Akamaba, said “I work with the Legal Aid Council. I shall refer the outcome of the suit to my office and we will decide on the next actions.”
