BREAKING: Court sentence woman to death by hanging for killing make-up artist in Enugu
The two siblings, Chiamaka Ifezue and Chukwuemeka Ifezue were arraigned on two counts charge bordering on conspiracy and murder before the court.
On Wednesday, the Enugu State High Court sentenced Chiamaka Ifezue to death by hanging for the murder of Ijeoma Nneke, a 27-year-old cosmetics artist, on November 11, 2020.
In pronouncing the verdict, Justice K.I Okpe concurred with the prosecution, Mrs Chinelo Chigbo, who headed the prosecution from the Department of Public Prosecution, that the suspect was indeed responsible for the death of the 27-year-old make-up artist from Enugu.
Miss Ifezue was subsequently convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging.
On July 28, 2022, Justice Okpe dismissed Chukwuemeka, Chiamaka’s sibling who was also charged with the killing.
The two siblings, Chiamaka Ifezue and Chukwuemeka Ifezue, were charged with conspiracy and murder in court.
They were accused of forcing the deceased (Ijeoma Nneke) to consume a deadly substance, which resulted in her death.
The culprits allegedly dumped the body at Enugu’s Maryland axis and poured a caustic liquid, presumed to be acid, on the remains.
The trial judge, Justice K.I Okpe, discharged Chukwuemeka since there was no evidence that he participated in the commission of the crime.
Chukwuemeka Ifezue was cleared of the crime after filing a no-case submission through his counsel, Mr Chuma Oguejiofor.
During the trial, the judge admitted police evidence related to the suspected murder of the makeup artist.
Chigbo led Prosecution Witness 7 (PW7), Sgt. Udeze Oguguo, a police officer, into evidence to present the exhibits.
Oguguo, who works with the Independence Layout Police Division in Enugu, stated that the evidence were found at the scene of the alleged crime.
The exhibits included five 20-pound notes, an iPhone 7plus with an MTN SIM card, another iPhone, and a BlackBerry phone.
Other items found include a broken 9Mobile SIM card, an itel phone, another black phone (no brand name), an MTN SIM pack, and the deceased’s beauty supplies.
The key to a Toyota Matrix Scan with registration number JJJ410BJ, which was reportedly used to transport the deceased’s body from the crime scene to where it was abandoned, was also presented as evidence.
The police officer informed the court that the car that had been parked at the Police Anti-kidnap Formation was no longer in good enough condition to be transported to the court.
He also provided tangible copies of the deceased’s WhatsApp communications and text messages (SMS) with her fiancé and girlfriend while at the scene of the crime.