SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, (THEWILL) – A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Monday found three out of the seven persons standing trial for lynching four students in Aluu community in 2012 guilty of murder.
The court presided over by Justice Ledan Nyordee also discharged and acquitted four others, who had been standing trial for the 2012 murder.
According to him, the prosecution failed to prove its case of murder against the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th accused persons beyond every reasonable doubt.
The Judge, however, found the 1st to 3rd defendants guilty of murder.
THEWILL recalls that five years ago, four students of the University of Port Harcourt namely Chiadika Biringa, Lloyd Toku Mike, Tekena Elkanah and Ugonna Obuzo who were lynched to death by villagers after they were falsely accused of theft in Aluu community in the Obio-Apkor Local Government Area of Rivers state.
In the incident, which precisely took place on October 5, 2012, the students were severely beaten, stripped naked and then burnt to death. This sparked outrage across the country when video of the incident went viral.
Twelve people, including a police sergeant have been facing trial since December 20, 2012 over the alleged murder of the students.
However, five out of the 12 suspects, including a traditional ruler in Aluu Community, have been discharged.
