Two Years After Killing A Teenage Boy, Court Sentenced Policeman To Die By Hanging

A Bayelsa High Court, on Friday sentenced a policeman, Corporal Vincent Koluamawei, to death by hanging for extta-judicially killing of a 17 years old boy in Yenagoa, Beyelsa state two year ago.

The Policeman, it could be recalled had shot and killed the young Innocent Kokorifa, in cold blood while running an errand for his mother and deposited his body at the mortuary.

Police authorities in the state had maintained that the young boy belonged to a gang of armed robbers, arguing that his group exchanged gunfire with the cops before he was hit by a shot fired by the convict.

The victim was later confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, on August 17, 2016, at about 11:am

After his death, the police claimed the teenager fired at the security agents deployed to apprehend them, before leaving behind one locally made Single Barrel pistol, one live cartridge, one expended cartridge and wraps of substances suspected to be Indian hemp.

Dissatisfied with police claims, the incident had sparked outrage leading to protests by youths and Civil Society Groups led by Morris Alagoa, Nengi James and Aluzu Ebikebuna, a lawyer and rights activist.

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But delivering judgement in the case, Justice Ineikade Eradiri held that that contrary to the position of the police, he was convinced that the young Kokorifa, was shot dead by a member of a police patrol team in Okaka area, was not armed at the time he was gruesomely murdered.

The judge also averred that there was no evidence that the gun allegedly recovered by the police after Kokorifa’s killing and a substance suspected to be marijuana the police said were found in his pocket, belonged to the deceased.

Justice Eradiri averred that the prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubts, maintaining that the defence of the police was conflicting.

He said: “I hold that the prosecution has proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt and that on the contrary, there was serious doubt in the claim by the accused that he acted in self-defence.

“I disbelieve and reject the defence of the accused for being contradictory and unsatisfactory. I find the accused guilty as charged and is hereby convicted for the murder of Innocent Kokorifa.

“The punishment prescribed for murder is death. Accordingly, the sentence of this court is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead. May God have mercy on your soul”.

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