Court Sentence Killer of Enugu makeup artist to death by hanging

An Enugu State High Court on Wednesday sentenced Chiamaka Ifezue to death by hanging for killing  an Enugu-based makeup artist

Justice K.I. Okpe of the Enugu State High Court has sentenced Chiamaka Ifezue to death by hanging for the killing of a 27-year-old makeup artist, Ijeoma Nneke, on November 11, 2020.

Ifezue and her brother, Chukwuemeka, were arraigned before the court on two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and murder in 2021.

They were accused of forcing Nneke to drink a poisonous substance that caused her death.

The suspects allegedly dumped her body in the Maryland axis of the Enugu metropolis and poured a corrosive substance suspected to be acid on it.

During the trial, Justice Okpe discharged Chukwuemeka following a no-case submission pleaded by the defence counsel, Mr Chuma Oguejiofor.

In discharging Chukwuemeka, the trial judge held that there was no evidence that he participated in the crime.

However, delivering the final judgment on the case on Wednesday, Justice Okpe said the prosecution proved the case of murder against Ifezue beyond a reasonable doubt.

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The court agreed with the submissions of Chinelo Chigbo, who led the prosecution from the Department of Public Prosecution, that the suspect was responsible for the death of the 27-year-old makeup artist based in Enugu.

The court consequently found  Ifezue guilty of murder and sentenced her to death by hanging.

During the trial, the court admitted in evidence police exhibits on the case of the alleged murder of the makeup artist.

Chigbo led Prosecution Witness 7 (PW7), Sgt. Udeze Oguguo, a police officer, in evidence to tender the exhibits.

Oguguo, who is attached to the Independence Layout Police Division in Enugu, said  the exhibits were recovered from the scene of the crime.

The exhibits included five pieces of 20 British pounds, an iPhone 7 Plus with an MTN SIM card, another iPhone device and a Blackberry phone.

Others are a broken 9Mobile SIM card, an itel phone, another black phone (no brand name), an MTN SIM pack, and makeup tools belonging to the deceased.

Also tendered in evidence was the key of a Toyota Metrix car with number plate JJJ410BJ which was allegedly used to move the dead body of the deceased from the scene of the crime to where it was dumped.

The police officer told the court that the car that had been parked at the Police Anti-Kidnap Formation is no longer in good  condition to be moved to the court.

He also tendered hard copies of the WhatsApp messages and text messages the deceased had with her fiancé and girlfriend, respectively, while at the scene of the crime.

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