A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has sentenced popular pastor in the state, Chidiebere Okoroafor, to death for murder.
Okoroafor, who was standing trial for the murder of his choir mistress, Orlunma Nwagba, is the General Overseer of the Altar of Solution and Healing Assembly based in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.
He was also slammed additional murder charges relating to the death of Nwagba’s friend, Chigozie Ezenwa, and her baby, Cresabel.
Delivering judgement, Justice Stanley Benson, said the prosecution not only proved their case beyond reasonable doubt, but that the confessional statements by Okoroaforwere “very indicting”.
The judge ordered that he be hanged by his neck until he dies or be executed by lethal injection.
The deceased women were believed to have visited the pastor in his residence before he convinced them to join him in a lonely bush where he committed the crimes.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, prosecuting counsel, Precious Ordu, praised the judgment.
She commended the International Federation of Women Lawyers for their input before the case was taken over by the state’s Ministry of Justice.
On his part, the defense counsel, Dr Innocent Ekpu, said the judgement would be appealed because the court misconceived and misinterpreted the law.