A Delta State High Court sitting in Ogwashi-Uku has sentenced two men to death by hanging for the kidnapping and murder of Delta State University (DELSU) undergraduate, Elozino Joshualia Ogege, bringing an end to a legal battle that gripped her family and supporters for years.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge convicted Macaulay Desmond Oghenemaro and Enaike Onoriode of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder, and the murder of Ogege. The court, however, discharged and acquitted the third defendant, Nwosisi Benedict Uche, after finding insufficient evidence to sustain the charges against him.
Ogege, a first-class 300-level Mass Communication student and an indigene of Isoko, Delta State, was abducted and murdered in Abraka after leaving to meet an agent who had offered to help her secure accommodation near the university. Prosecutors said she was lured to her death by suspected internet fraudsters involved in ritual killings.
The Delta State Government, through the Office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, prosecuted the defendants on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery and murder. A fourth defendant, Robinson Obajero Ojokojo, alleged to be a native doctor, died while the trial was still in progress.
The proceedings were delayed repeatedly, largely due to the absence of counsel for the first defendant. Following the adoption of final written addresses earlier this year, the court fixed July 29, 2026, for judgment.
Justice Azinge found Oghenemaro and Onoriode guilty of their respective roles in the crime and sentenced both men to death by hanging for the murder conviction, in addition to various prison terms on the remaining counts.
Reacting to the judgment, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Omamuzo Erebe, SAN, who led the prosecution, described the verdict as a landmark decision that finally delivered justice to Ogege’s family.
“Today, we witnessed the conclusion of a trial that commenced about nine years ago. The court found the first and third defendants guilty of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder and murder. They were sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of Miss Elozino Ogege,” he said.
Erebe acknowledged the grief of Ogege’s family, particularly her mother, who became emotional after the judgment was delivered. While noting that no verdict could undo their loss, he expressed hope that the decision would offer some measure of closure.
He also said the judgment should serve as a strong warning to young people against ritual killings and other violent crimes driven by the pursuit of quick wealth.
“The law will take its course. No matter how long it takes, the law will eventually take its course. I advise young people to desist from crime,” he added.
An Isoko lawyer, Duncan Afahokor, welcomed the verdict, describing it as “justice at last” and saying it reaffirmed that those responsible for ritual killings would ultimately be held accountable.
He also commended members of the Umeh Need Road Facebook community for sustaining public advocacy throughout the lengthy trial, expressing hope that the judgment would deter similar crimes and ensure that Ogege’s death was not be in vain.
Former President of the Isoko Monitoring Group, Dr. Sebastine Ogoloyoyo Agbefe, and the Founder of The Ideal Isoko Woman (TIIW), Xino Monnitey, also described the judgment as long-overdue justice for Ogege and her family.
