A High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has sentenced 30-year-old Boniface Abraham Edigbo to death by hanging for the murder of 18-year-old Ogbonna Joshua, a Senior Secondary 2 student at Community Secondary School, Amachi, in Izzi Local Government Area.
Justice Ruth Okeh delivered the verdict, finding Edigbo guilty of poisoning the victim after their sexual encounter on May 22, 2023. The court heard that Edigbo lured Joshua to Edigbo Guest House, where they spent the night. The following day, May 23, the convict mixed Sniper insecticide with a Fanta drink and gave it to the teenager, who died after consuming the poisoned beverage.
Prosecuting counsel Mrs. Ijeoma Mike-Ajanwachukwu welcomed the judgment, stating, “The judgement will serve as a deterrent to others who have been committing such heinous crimes in society.”
Investigations revealed that Edigbo and Joshua had been in a homosexual relationship since 2021. In 2023, they made a pact to keep their relationship secret. However, when Joshua developed anal health complications, he confided in his school principal and some classmates, making their relationship public.
After the murder, Edigbo initially reported the incident to a woman, claiming he did not intend to kill Joshua but acted out of anger after the victim disclosed their relationship. The woman pretended to help Edigbo by saying she would get money for him to flee the state but instead alerted community youths. They apprehended Edigbo and found Joshua’s lifeless body in room 006 of Edigbo Guest House.