A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on Monday sentenced a police sergeant to death and sentenced two others to life imprisonment for the death of two civilians, while struggling with a bus driver over N100 bribe.
Delivering the judgement, the trial judge, Justice Biobele Georgewill,
said the convicts conspired to murder the victims, Chinyeaka Kamalu and
Ugochukwu Harcourt, on January 17, 2010, in the state capital.
Justice Georgewill in his judgement pronounced death sentence by hanging on Sergeant Clement Indyel, while Sergeant Ali Bello and PC Auwalu Kwale respectively, were sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to him, the convicted policemen, who were serving under the State Police Command, were charged for felony, murder and conspiracy by the state, for the murder of the victims, who were among the passengers attacked by the three officers over N100 bribe.
He said having heard the submissions made by the counsel and gone through the evidence presented before the court, he was of the view that the convicted officers conspired to murder the two persons in the bus because the driver refused to pay them the bribe of N100.
He said the only way the souls of the victims could rest in peace for unjust murder by police officers who were meant to protect them was to allow law to take its cause.
