Suspected killers of Cynthia Udoka Osokogu at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Cynthia-Osokogu

Facebook friends of Cynthia Osokogu, Okwumo Nwabufo and Olisaeloka Ezike have been sentenced to death by a Lagos State High Court in Igbosere. Osokogu, the Nasarawa State University postgraduate student was murdered by these Facebook friends, of hers on July 22, 2012, at Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Festac Town, Lagos.

Today, there was their just desert was handed over to them when Justice Olabisi Akinlade found them guilty and sentenced them to death for murder.

The judge, according to Vanguard report, held that the circumstantial evidence brought by the state in proof of the six counts of conspiracy, murder and stealing against the accused persons were cogent, complete, unequivocal and compelling.

Recall that Justice Akinlade had on January 12, 2017, during the adoption of the final written addresses by all the counsel in the case fixed March 23, for judgement on the case.

The trial began on February 8, 2013, when the state called the former receptionist, Ifeyinwa Njebu, at Cosmilla Suites and Hotel, Festac, who was on duty on the day of the incident as the first witness.

Counsel for Orji and Nonso had requested bail for their clients and Justice Akinlade had granted bail to Orji with two sureties who must deposit N500,000 each. She had ordered that one of the sureties must be a serving Director at Ecobank Plc and the other a licensed pharmacist.

For Nonso, Olisaeloka’s younger brother, the judge granted him bail of N2 million, with two sureties, adding that one of the sureties must be a civil servant not less than Grade Level 14 while the other must be a property owner with a genuine Certificate of Occupancy. She said that the sureties must be resident in Lagos, with evidence of tax payment dating back to three years.