Two men, Ugochukwu Amaugo and Udo Ogba Oka, of the defunct Bakassi Group and currently part of the Abia State Vigilante Services, have been sentenced to death by hanging for murder, by a Ukwa High Court in Abia State.
The judgment, delivered by Hon. Justice C.H. Ahuchaogu, stems from an alleged murder case that took place on August 30, 2013. The convicted men asserted that they had apprehended two young individuals, Temple Nwakanma and Martins Azih, in Osisioma, Aba, claiming the discovery of firearms, cartridges, and knives in their possession.
The convicts asserted that after the arrest, they were en route to their Umuahia office when they encountered Nigerian Army personnel at Abia tower.
Following an interrogation, the military requested custody of the detained boys, and the convicts complied.
However, the identity of the military personnel and the absence of any accompanying documentation remained unclear during the handover.
Subsequently, the whereabouts of the detained young men became unknown, with the local Nigerian Army denying receipt of the individuals.
Over the past 11 years, efforts to ascertain the fate of these young men have been futile. The legal proceedings surrounding the incident concluded on Thursday, with Hon. Justice Chibuzo Ahuchaogu delivering the death sentences. The verdict is based on the failure of the defunct Bakassi members to conclusively prove that they had handed over the boys to the Nigerian Army and, consequently, their lack of knowledge regarding the disappearance of the detainees.
