A High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has ordered the execution of 30-year-old Boniface Abraham Edigbo for murdering an 18-year-old student. The victim, Ogbonna Joshua, was an SS2 student at Community Secondary School in Amachi, Izzi Local Government Area. The court found Edigbo guilty of poisoning Joshua in a hotel on May 23, 2023, following a sexual assault the previous night. Justice Ruth Okeh delivered the verdict, stating Edigbo’s actions warranted the death penalty by hanging.
The prosecution, led by Mrs. Ijeoma Mike-Ajanwachukwu, praised the ruling, saying it would deter similar crimes. Evidence presented in court revealed that Edigbo and Joshua had been in a secret sexual relationship since 2021, with an agreement to keep it hidden.
However, Joshua began experiencing health issues and disclosed the relationship to his school principal and peers, causing it to become public. Angered by this, Edigbo lured Joshua to Edigbo Guest House on May 22, 2023. The next day, he mixed Sniper insecticide into a Fanta drink and gave it to Joshua, who drank it and died.
After the act, Edigbo confessed to a woman that he had killed Joshua for exposing their relationship, claiming he did not intend to murder him. The woman alerted community youths, who arrested Edigbo and found Joshua’s body in room 006 of the guest house. The court’s decision has been noted as a strong message against such crimes in society.
