A Bayelsa State High Court has sentenced Joseph Fekala to death by hanging for the murder of 25-year-old Kate Oguoh.
Fekala, 28, was arrested in July 2022 after he strangled Oguoh to death over a dispute regarding N50,000 that the deceased had given him and buried her body in his room in Okaka, Yenagoa, the state capital.
Following a three-year trial, Justice Ineikade Eradiri found Fekala guilty of three out of four charges against him. He was convicted of murder, misconduct in handling a corpse, and burial in an unlicensed place, contrary to the Criminal Code of Bayelsa State, but was acquitted of stealing.
In a ruling that lasted three hours over the weekend, Justice Eradiri dismissed the defence arguments of insanity, provocation, and self-defence. The judge noted that the two witnesses called by the defence failed to establish that the killing was due to insanity. According to the Court, exhibits tendered during the trial showed that Fekala was in control and aware of his actions.
The defence’s plea for a lesser sentence of manslaughter was also rejected, with the judge stating: “The plea for a lesser offence cannot be sustained. After reviewing the evidence before the Court, I find no grounds to convict the defendant for manslaughter. I therefore find the accused guilty of murder and convict him of counts 1, 2, and 3.”
Justice Eradiri confirmed that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and directed the Court Clerk to inform the defendant of the guilty verdict.
During his allocution, Fekala knelt and pleaded for mercy, stating that he is a Christian and peace-loving, and appealed to the family of the deceased and the Court for forgiveness.
The judge, however, stated he had no discretion in sentencing for murder under Section 247 of the Bayelsa State Criminal Code, adding: “The punishment for murder is death. I hereby sentence you to death by hanging till you die. May God have mercy on your soul.”
The parents of the deceased, Mr and Mrs Theophilus Oguoh, expressed satisfaction with the judgment and commended the judiciary for its firmness.
