Reasons Court Awards Death Sentence To Four Taxi Driver In Bayelsa.

By Admin

A Bayelsa State High Court presided over by Justice Patience Ama Zuofa, in Yenagoa, has awarded death sentence to four individuals for killing a taxi driver, Mr. Olarenwaju Ajayi during a journey to Onne in Rivers State.

The four individuals identified as Sunday Imoh Essien, Opena Akpabio, Odogha Ebi, and Clifford Michael were found guilty of the offences of conspiracy, murder and armed robbery and sentenced to death.

In a judgment delivered at the Bayelsa State High Court 11 in Onopa, Yenagoa, the presiding judge, Hon. Justice Patience Ama Zuofa Diri in the suit number YHC/21C/2021, said the court found it necessary to convict the suspect following overwhelming evidence against them:

According to court findings, the convicts had chartered Mr. Ajayi, a commercial taxi driver operating between Yenagoa and Port-Harcourt, under the guise of attending a naval program in Onne, Rivers State.

The court findings further revealed that Mr. Ajayi conveyed his supposed passengers from Agudama-Epie and proceeded to Onne, but unfortunately the journey turned fatal at Okogbe in Rivers State.

“Under the pretense of relieving himself, the first defendant, Mr. Sunday Imoh, asked the driver to stop the vehicle. Once stopped, the other occupants of the vehicle launched a coordinated attack on Mr. Ajayi: they held him by his neck using a marine rope and stabbed him to death.

“After committing the act, the convicts disposed of the body of the deceased and drove the stolen vehicle to Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, where they sold it for Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (#450,000.00)”, part of the judgment said.

Commenting on the judgement, the Bayelsa State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Biriyai Dambo, SAN affirmed the State’s commitment to upholding justice.

Mr. Dambo noted that the conviction underscores the Bayelsa State Government’s zero-tolerance policy toward crime and its unwavering commitment to ensure that criminals face the full weight of the law.