Ebonyi woman identified as Mrs. Agnes Nwefuru, has been sentenced to death by hanging, for burning co-wife and her seven children to ashes.
Agnes was convicted by a state High Court sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, on Monday, December 9.
In a suit no.HAW/13C/2017, she was accused of setting ablaze the house of her co-wife, Felicia Nwefuru, which took her life and the lives of her seven children.
She was also accused of burning her own house during the evil act as a camouflage.
The plaintiff which is the state government, argued that Mrs. Nwefuru removed all her belongings and that of her children and took them to a safe place outside the house before committing the ugly act.
In his judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Uwabunkonye Onwosi, declared that the plaintiff proved that the defendant was guilty of the murder charge levelled against her and as such, had to face the full wrath of the law.
Recall that in 2017, eight members of a family were burnt to death following a mysterious fire that engulfed their residential house around 3am in the wee hours of the night at Ogboji community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Two persons survived the inferno: the husband, Mr. Sylvanus Nwefuru and Miss Ukamaka Nwefuru, one of Felicia’s daughters.
The fire razed the two hatched houses in the compound during the incident.
Delivering the judgement, the presiding judge, Justice Uwabunkonye Onwosi, in about 2hrs judgement, declared that the plaintiff proved that the defendant was guilty of the murder charge preferred against her.
“Nwefuru Agnes is found guilty of murder and is hereby convicted. The term of her sentence is that she be hanged by neck until she is dead”, the judge ruled.
