In his ruling, Justice Andove Kaakan said prosecutors had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the two convicts conspired to murder the priest after receiving a ransom of N1.5 million to N500,000 less than they demanded.
A high court in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has sentenced two persons, Suleiman Goma (30) and Haruna Idi (32), to death for kidnapping and killing a Reverend Father.
In his ruling, Justice Andove Kaakan said prosecutors had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the two convicts conspired to murder the priest after receiving a ransom of N1.5 million to N500,000 less than they demanded.
Fr. John Adeyi of Otukpo Catholic Diocese was heading to Okpokwu from a mass in Orokamu when his abductors waylaid him.
He was going to Okpokwu when he was abducted and later killed after the family paid ramsom. The priest was taken to a forest in Okpokwu on April26, 2016, before he was subsequently killed.
“All evidence proved that the convicts conspired and killed the priest, whom they took to Okungaga forest in Okpokwu. They demanded N2m ransom and they eventually killed him after collecting N1.5m,” the judge sais.
The Inspector General of Police filed the case against both convicts, who are from Orokamu in the Ogbadibo Local Government Area of the state. The judge listed weapons obtained from the accused persons to include two pistols, one Dane gun and charm.
Justice Kaakan said Goma had confessed to buying the gun for robbery and kidnapping.