Two men have been sentenced to death by hanging by a Delta State High Court sitting in Ogwashi-Uku for the kidnapping and murder of Miss Elozino Joshualia Ogege, a 300-level Mass Communication student of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge on Wednesday, ended a legal battle that lasted about nine years over one of Delta State’s most high-profile murder cases.

Convicts found guilty

The court found Macaulay Desmond Oghenemaro and Enaike Onoriode guilty on charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder and murder.

However, the third defendant, Nwosisi Benedict Uche, was discharged and acquitted after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence linking him to the offences.

A fourth defendant, Robinson Obajero Ojokojo, a native doctor, had died during the course of the lengthy trial.

How the incident happened

Ogege, an indigene of Isoko in Delta State, was killed in 2019 after she reportedly left to meet a man who had promised to assist her in securing accommodation within the DELSU community in Abraka.

Her death sparked outrage across Nigeria after investigators alleged that parts of her body had been removed in what was believed to be a ritual killing linked to suspected internet fraudsters, popularly referred to as “Yahoo Yahoo Plus” operators.

The Delta State Government, through the Office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, subsequently arraigned the defendants on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery, membership of an unlawful society and murder.

Trial delayed by repeated adjournments

The prosecution of the case suffered several delays over the years, largely due to the repeated absence of counsel representing the first defendant.

Following the adoption of final written addresses earlier this year, Justice Azinge reserved judgment before eventually delivering her verdict on July 29, 2026.

Delta government hails judgment

Reacting to the ruling, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Omamuzo Erebe (SAN), who led the prosecution alongside Okolotu Ugochukwu and Funkekeme Solomon Junior, described the verdict as a major victory for justice.

He said the court convicted the first and second defendants of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder and murder, imposing various prison terms on some counts before sentencing them to death by hanging for the murder-related offences.

Erebe also expressed sympathy to the family of the deceased, noting that although the judgment could not bring Ogege back to life, it would hopefully provide the family with a sense of closure after years of waiting.

He added that the verdict should serve as a strong warning to individuals seeking quick wealth through ritual killings and other violent crimes, stressing that offenders would ultimately face the full weight of the law regardless of how long it takes.

Defence counsel welcomes acquittal

Counsel to the third defendant, Benjamin Okoh, described the judgment as “justice at last.”

He said the verdict demonstrated that justice had not only been done but had also been seen to have been done.

Okoh also commended the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria for its role throughout the proceedings and expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision to acquit his client due to insufficient evidence.