A State High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State sentenced the kidnappers to death for killing four people in the state.
The convict, Bestman Lekia and members of the gang reportedly killed and used the victim’s intestines to eat pepper soup in Okwali community, Khana Local Government Area of the state.
Judge, Adolphus Enebeli in his court convicted Mr. Lekia, also known as Bigie, of murder, armed robbery, theft, kidnapping and cult.
The judge said that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt and ruled that the convict should be hanged by the neck until confirmed dead, Punch newspaper reported.
The newspaper did not say when the verdict was handed down.
Judge Enebeli said if possible, the convict should be hanged four times and die four times, adding that his attitude during the trial proved that he was a criminal, cultist and terror.
The inmate, Mr. Lekia and others killed the kidnapped victims, Gbodu Nobaale, Etim Ekpe, Nenalebarri Mmeabe and Loveday Mmeabe after they were abducted and taken to an unknown location.
According to a Punch report, one of the victims, Mmeable had her stomach cut open and her intestines used to prepare pepper soup and banana food by her kidnappers in 2019.
Kidnap-for-ransom has increased in the oil-rich country with many victims dying while in the kidnappers’ dens.
Five months ago, kidnappers killing and burying clerics in Rivers State after collecting the ransom.
The decomposing remains of the deceased, Friday Olakada, 56, the General Overseer of God in Eleme Local Government Area of the state, was exhumed by the police.
The kidnappers have killed and buried the cleric in a shallow grave after collecting N500,000 ransom.
In April last year, the kidnappers of the traditional authorities in the country released a video of the king knelt down and promised them.
The king, Aaron Ikuru, from Ikuru town in Andoni Local Government Area of the state, was forced to read out his list of demands.
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