A popular pastor in Nigeria’s Rivers State, Chidiebere Okoroafor, has been sentenced to death over murder of some persons.
Okoroafor, who was standing trial for the murder of his choir mistress, Orlunma Nwagba, is the General Overseer of the Altar of Solution and Healing Assembly based in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the oil-rich state.
He was also facing additional murder charges relating to the death of Nwagba’s friend, Chigozie Ezenwa, and her baby, Cresabel.
Delivering judgement, Justice Stanley Benson of Rivers High Court in Port Harcourt, said the prosecution not only proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt, but the confessional statements made by Okoroafor himself were “very indicting.”
Benson then ordered that he be hanged by his neck until he dies or be executed by lethal injection.
The deceased women were believed to have visited the pastor in his residence where he convinced them to join him in a lonely bush where he committed the act on them respectively.
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Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, both counsels had different opinions. The prosecuting counsel — who is from the state Ministry of Justice — Precious Ordu hailed the judgement.
She commended the International Federation of Women Lawyers for their input before the case was taken over by the state.
On his part, the defence counsel, Dr Innocent Ekpu said the judgement would be appealed because the court misconceived and misinterpreted the law.
