A dismissed officer of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, attached to the Edo State Police Command, Joseph Omotosho has been convicted for the extra-judicial killing of Benson Obodeh in 2015.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Ohimai Ovbiagele described testimonies provided by the plaintiff as firm and almost unchallenged.P
“Therefore, the judgement was based on absolute fact. which the court absorbed as presented by the prosecuting counsel and all witnesses that appeared before the court.”
The Edo State High Court in Benin, found the former Constable Omotosho and four others guilty.
They were accused of conspiracy in the extrajudicial killing of a car dealer, Benson Obodeh.
They were charged on eight counts bordering on conspiracy to steal and murder.
Omotosho also withdrew N330,000 from the deceased’s account through Automated Teller Machines, having obtained the PIN from Obodeh before he was killed.
Four others, Adeleke Adedeji, Abena John, Oniyo Musa and Henry Shobowole who had escaped in the twin jailbreak during the #EndSars protest last October, however had their sentences suspended because they were not in court.
Justice Ovbiagele pointed out that the convicts could not substantiate counter-evidence against the charges levelled against them.
Omotosho was also handed another seven years’ imprisonment for his role in the stealing of the deceased’s money from his bank accounts.
Report has it that the deceased was listed among suspected criminal gangs, who allegedly stole a Peugeot car.
The prosecuting counsel, Abraham Oviawe, said, “What happened today is a confirmation of the biblical position that says the wages of sin is death. So, when one conspires to take the life of another man, with overwhelming evidence, the court has no option but to reach the verdict as reached.”
On his part, the convicts’ counsel, Lede Pique, said the judgment would be appealed.
