Brothers let off the hook in alleged murder of cousin

Two brothers,Chidiebere and Ewuzie Okeke have been discharged and acquitted by an Anambra State High Court sitting in Ihiala over the alleged killing of their cousin, Okwuchukwu Okeke of Umudioka-Umuohi Okija.

The court, presided over by Justice Raphael Onunkwo, set the brothers free on Wednesday, citing lack of credible evidence.

In his judgement on the two count charge of murder and conspiracy, Justice Onunkwo said the prosecuting counsel did not prove the allegation of murder beyond reasonable doubt as required in a criminal matter, adding that death of Okechukwu was shrouded in mystery. He also noted that the prosecuting counsel failed to unravel the mystery “due to shoddy investigation.”

He said though the deceased, according to the autopsy report and police witness, was said to have died as a result of head injury inflicted on him by a group of persons, the prosecutor could not directly link the defendants as the cause of the death of Okwuchukwu.

The judge therefore concluded that from the evidence before the court, there was no nexus between the attack on the victim and the alleged murder by the suspects.

“The murderers of the deceased might escape human justice, but cannot escape divine justice,” he said.

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