Kidnapper who used victims’ intestines for pepper soup to die by hanging – Court

A State High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has sentenced a kidnapper to death for killing four persons in the state.

The convict, Bestman Lekia and his gang members reportedly killed and used their victims’ intestines for pepper soup meal in Okwali community, Khana Local Government Area of the state.

The judge, Adolphus Enebeli in his judgment convicted Mr Lekia, also known as Bigie, of murder, armed robbery, burglary, kidnapping and cultism.

The judge said the prosecution counsel had proven his case beyond reasonable doubt and ruled that the convict should be hanged on his neck until confirmed death, the Punch newspaper reported.

The newspaper did not state when the judgment was delivered.

Justice Enebeli said if possible, the convict ought to be hanged four times and die four times, adding that his attitude throughout the trial has proved that he was a hardened criminal, cultist and a terror.

The convict, Mr Lekia and others at large murdered their kidnapped victims, Gbodu Nobaale, Etim Ekpe, Nenalebarri Mmeabe and Loveday Mmeabe after they were abducted and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to the Punch report, one of the victims, Mmeable had his stomach ripped open and his intestine used to prepare peppered soup and plantain meal by his abductors in 2019.

Kidnap-for-ransom has been on the increase in the oil-rich state with many victims killed while in the kidnappers’ den.

Five months ago, kidnappers killed and buried a cleric in Rivers State after collecting ransom.

The decomposing remains of the deceased, Friday Olakada, 56, the General Overseer of God is God Ministry in Eleme Local Government Area of the state, was exhumed by the police.

The abductors had killed and buried the cleric in a shallow grave after collecting N500, 000 ransom.

In April last year, kidnappers of a traditional ruler in the state released a video of the monarch kneeling and making promises to them.

The monarch, Aaron Ikuru, of Ikuru town in Andoni Local Government Area of the state, was forced to read their lists of demands.