DELSU Murder: Two Sentenced to Death, One Acquitted as Court Delivers Judgment Eight Years After Elozino Ogege’s Killing

Eight years after the gruesome murder of Delta State University (DELSU) student, Miss Elozino Ogege, a High Court sitting in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Aniocha South LGA, Delta State, has sentenced two of the three defendants to death by hanging.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice F. N. Azinge found Desmond Macaulay Umukoro and Enaike Onoriode guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging. The third defendant, Nwonsisi Bernard, was discharged and acquitted of the eight-count charge.

The case stemmed from the 2018 killing of Ogege, whose death sparked widespread outrage and renewed calls to tackle ritual-related crimes. According to information shared after the judgment, the herbalist alleged to have requested the victim’s body parts for ritual purposes died in custody while awaiting trial.

Following the verdict, appreciation was extended to the Delta State Solicitor-General, Omamuzo Erebe (SAN), the Nigeria Police Force, Delta State Command, the Delta State Human Rights Congress, media organisations and human rights advocates for their roles in pursuing justice throughout the case.

The late Elozino Ogege was, a 22-year-old first-class 300-level Mass Communication student at Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka.

She was abducted and murdered in November 2018 after going to meet an agent regarding university housing, in a case linked to suspected ritual killings by internet fraudsters (“Yahoo Yahoo plus”).