Court sentences man to death for murder of 25-year-old woman

A Bayelsa State High Court has sentenced Joseph Fekala to death by hanging for the murder of 25-year-old Kate Oguoh.

Fekala, 28, was arrested in July 2022 after strangling Oguoh over a dispute involving ₦50,000 she had given him. He reportedly buried her body in his room in Okaka, Yenagoa, the state capital.

After a three-year trial, Justice Ineikade Eradiri found Fekala guilty on three of the four charges brought against him. He was convicted of murder, misconduct in handling a corpse, and burial in an unlicensed place under the Bayelsa State Criminal Code, but acquitted of stealing.

The judge dismissed defence claims of insanity, provocation, and self-defence, noting that the two witnesses called by the defence failed to prove that Fekala’s actions were due to mental incapacity. Justice Eradiri cited exhibits tendered in court showing that the accused was in control and aware of his actions.

The court also rejected the defence counsel’s plea to downgrade the conviction to manslaughter, ruling that the charges could not be substituted. “The plea for a lesser offence cannot be sustained. After reviewing the evidence, I find no grounds to convict the defendant for manslaughter. I therefore find the accused guilty of murder and convict him on counts 1, 2, and 3,” Justice Eradiri said.

During the proceedings, Fekala knelt in the dock, pleading for mercy and forgiveness. He described himself as a Christian and peace-loving man and appealed to the family of the deceased for pardon.

Justice Eradiri stated that he had no discretion in sentencing for murder, adding: “The punishment for murder under section 247 of the criminal code of Bayelsa State is death. I hereby sentence you to death by hanging till you die. May God have mercy on your soul.”

The parents of the deceased, Mr. and Mrs. Theophilus Oguoh, expressed satisfaction with the judgment and commended the judiciary for its firmness.