A Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has sentenced two men to death by hanging for their involvement in the murder of Odeinyefa Ogbolosingha in 2022.
The victim, who was reportedly an in-law to a prominent politician in the state, was kidnapped and killed by the convicts.
The convicts were also accused of killing the then paramount ruler of Kalaba community, Kolibo Francis Amabelimo, and another resident, Samuel Oburo, in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.
The convicts, identified as Gideon Atama, 32, and Clever Ovo, 33, were standing trial on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, murder and attempted murder in suit number BYHC/YHC/CR/32/2025.
The presiding judge, Justice Michael Amadise Ekade, handed down the sentences after considering the evidence presented before the court and finding the defendants guilty of the offences.
Meanwhile, one of the defendants, 50-year-old Bethlehem Nwanlia, reportedly slumped and died within the court premises while awaiting the delivery of the judgement.
Nwanlia was said to have developed health complications, including hypertension and stroke, while in custody at the Okaka Medium Correctional Centre.
The two convicts were reportedly arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), formerly known as Operation Puff Adder, led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo.
Reacting to the judgement, family members of the deceased expressed appreciation to VCRU operatives for the arrests and investigations that led to the prosecution of the suspects.
They also commended the Bayelsa State Government, particularly the Ministry of Justice, for what they described as the diligent prosecution of the case.
The judgement marks a significant development in the prosecution of the 2022 killings, which claimed the lives of three people in Kalaba community.