A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has sentenced a pastor who is popular in the state, identified as Chidiebere Okoroafor, to d£ath for m¥der.
Pastor Okoroafor, who was standing trial for the m¥rder of his choir mistress, Orlunma Nwagba, is the General Overseer of the Altar of Solution and Healing Assembly based in Oyigbo LGA of the state.
He was also facing additional m¥rder charges relating to the d£ath of Nwagba’s friend, Chigozie Ezenwa, and her baby, Cresabel on December 11, 2017.
Delivering his judgement on Monday, June 5, 2023, Justice Stanley Benson said the evidence and confessional statement by Pastor Okoroafor proved he m¥d£red his Church’s choir mistress after getting her pregnant and also k#lled her friend, Chigozie Ezenwa with her daughter, Christabel Ezenwa.
The Judge insisted that the prosecution proved the case of murder against Pastor Okoroafor, ordering that the Pastor be k#lled by hanging on his neck until he is d£ad or be inj£cted with a leth@l inj£ction which also k#lls faster.
Reacting, counsel for the defendant, Innocent Ekwu, said he and his team would appeal the judgment.
“We, as counsel for the defendant, have decided to appeal the case. We are going to file our notice of appeal as quickly as possible because we have grounds on which we believe that the defendant did not commit the offence,” he said.
