After nine years of legal battles, adjournments and long wait for justice, the family of murdered Delta State University student, Elozino Joshualia Ogege finally gets justice, while a man gets life imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old girl in Cross River State
By Jude Nzennaya
The Delta State High Court sitting in Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, sentenced two men to death by hanging for the kidnapping and murder of Elezino Joshualia Ogege, a 300-level Mass Communications student of the Delta State University (DELSU) Abraka.
Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge found Macaulay Desmond Oghenemaro and Onoriode Onoriode guilty of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to commit murder.
However, the court discharged and acquitted the third defendant, Nwosisi Benedict Uche.
Tentacle learnt that Elozino Joshualia Ogege, an indigene of Isoko, Delta State was killed in 2019 in what prosecutors described as a ritual murder allegedly linked to internet fraudsters popularly known as “Yahoo Plus” boys.
Tentacle further learnt that the young student was reportedly lured to her death after she left to meet an agent who was allegedly helping her to secure accommodation around the university community in Abraka.
What followed was a tragedy that shocked her family, fellow students and the wider Isoko community and her grieving family.
The Delta State Government subsequently charged Oghenemaro, Onoriode and Uche with an eight-count charge involving conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery and murder. A fourth defendant, Robinson Obajero Ogoja, a native doctor, died while the trial was still ongoing.
The case dragged on for years, with repeated adjournments reportedly caused in part by the absence of counsel for the first defendant. But after the adoption of final written addresses earlier this year, the long-awaited judgment date was finally fixed for July 29, 2026.
Delivering her verdict, Justice Azinge convicted Oghenemaro and Onoriode for their roles in the kidnapping and killing of Ogege. For the murder conviction, the two men were sentenced to death by hanging.
Reacting to the judgment, Delta State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Omamuzo Erebe (SAN) who led the prosecution team, described the verdict as a landmark judgment, saying the victim’s family had waited nine years to see justice done.
“Today, we witnessed the conclusion of a trial that commenced about nine years ago”, he said. According to him, although the judgment could not bring Ogege back, it would help her family find closure. The family has been waiting for justice for nine years, and justice has been delivered to them and the entire family. You could notice that the mother of the deceased was very emotional in court. It is not easy for her, but it will help them find closure,” he said.
Erebe also cautioned young Nigerians chasing quick wealth through crime and ritual killings, stressing that the judgment should serve as a warning to those involved in “Yahoo Yahoo” ritual killings and other criminal activities. “No matter how long it takes, the law will eventually take its course,” he warned.
An Isoko-based lawyer, Duncan Afahokor also welcomed the verdict, describing it simply as “Justice at last!”, adding, “The judgment showed that justice had not only been done, but had been “manifestly seen to be done.”
According to him, the verdict should serve as a warning to young men who believe they can become wealthy by taking innocent lives for ritual purposes.
He also praised members of the Umeh Need Road Facebook Page for keeping Ogege’s memory alive and consistently demanding justice throughout the lengthy legal battle, maintaining that the verdict reminded Nigerians that “true prosperity cannot be built on bloodshed.”
Former President of the Isoko Monitoring Group (IMG), Dr. Sebastine Ogolugbo Abbeff and Isoko Women (TIW) were also among Isoko indigenes and Nigerians who condemned Ogege’s killing and demanded justice. They welcomed the judgment, describing it as long-awaited justice for Ogege and her family.
After nine years, the case has finally reached its dramatic conclusion, but for Elozino’s family, the scars of the brutal loss will remain.
In a related development, a High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced a man, John Sunday Eyo, to life imprisonment after convicting him of raping a 16-year-old girl.
The judgment was delivered on July 21, 2026 by Hon. Justice Blessing Egwu who found the defendant guilty after considering the evidence presented before the court.
The conviction marks the end of the legal proceedings in the case, with the court imposing a life sentence on the offender for the crime.
Reacting to the judgment, Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), the organisation that handled the case, praised the efforts of everyone involved in ensuring justice was served.
The organization specifically commended the Cross River State Police Command for its diligent investigation and prosecution support. It also acknowledged the commitment of the Attorney General of Cross River State, Etubom Edediem Ani and the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Greg Okoi Uklam, for their roles in securing justice in the matter.
