Killer Of Enugu Makeup Artist, Ijeoma Nweke Sentenced To Death By Hanging
An Enugu State High Court has sentenced Chiamaka Ifezue to death by hanging for the murder of a makeup artist, Ijeoma Nneke.
The makeup artist Ijeoma, was murdered in November 11th, 2020.
After over three years of legal fireworks, Barr. Chinelo Chigbo who led the prosecution from the Department of Public Prosecution, DPP, was able to convince the court that the suspect was responsible for the death of the 27-year-old Make-up artist based in Enugu.
In a judgement delivered today, 7th February, 2024, Justice K.I Okpe found miss Ifezue guilty and sentenced her to death by hanging.
The trial judge had, in 2022, discharged one of the siblings, for lack of evidence for actually participating in the Commission of the crime.
The two siblings, Chiamaka Ifezue and Chukwuemeka Ifezue, were standing trial for allegedly forcing the deceased (Ijeoma Nneke) to drink a poisonous substance that caused her death.
But in discharging Chukwuemeka, the trial judge, held that there was no evidence that he actually participated in the Commission of the crime, and was discharged of the crime on July 28, 2022.
The court had admitted into evidence, police exhibits on the case of the alleged murder of the makeup artist.
The suspects allegedly dumped her body at the Maryland axis of Enugu metropolis and poured a corrosive substance suspected to be acid on the carcass.
Chigbo led the Prosecution Witness 7 (PW7), Sgt. Udeze Oguguo, a police officer, in evidence to tender the exhibits.
Oguguo, who was attached to the Independence Layout Police Division, Enugu, said that the exhibits were recovered at the scene of the alleged crime.
The exhibits included five pieces of 20 British pounds, an iPhone 7plus with MTN SIM card, another iPhone device and a blackberry phone.
Others are a broken 9Mobile SIM card, itel phone, another black phone (no brand name), MTN SIM pack, makeup tools belonging to the deceased.
Also tendered in evidence was the key of a Toyota Metrix Scan with registration number JJJ410BJ which was allegedly used to move the body of the deceased from the scene of the crime to where it was dumped.
The police officer said that the car which had been parked at the Police Anti-kidnap Formation was no longer in good condition to be moved to the court.
He also tendered hard copies of the WhatsApp messages and text messages (SMS) the deceased had with her fiancé and girlfriend respectively, while at the scene of the crime.
Oguguo also tendered the non-confessional statements of Chiamaka made on November 18, 2020, November 19, 2020, and January 14, 2021, which were all admitted in evidence.
He also tendered the non-confessional statement of Chukwuemeka made on November 18, 2020.
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