In a landmark judgment, a Kogi State High Court sitting in Ankpa has sentenced five men to death by hanging for their involvement in the murder of Chief Sylvester Sule, his brother Owoicho Duke, and another individual. Chief Sule, a retired Navy officer, was the head of the Akwu community in Ankpa Local Government Area.
The court proceedings revealed that a long-standing chieftaincy dispute between two ruling families in the Akwu community escalated into violence on January 29, 2020. The conflict, which centered around the right to produce the village head, resulted in the deaths of three people, the destruction of 22 houses, and the burning of five vehicles.
The violence erupted shortly after the then Ata Igala officially crowned Sylvester Muhammedu Sule as the village head on December 29, 2019. Within a month, the community was plunged into chaos, leading to the tragic deaths and extensive property damage.
Justice Seidu Husseini, who delivered the judgment on October 7, 2024, found the accused—Aliyu Amadu Makolo, Yakubu Idaji, Danjuma Yusuf, Mohammed Yusuf, and Muhammed Rilwanu (also known as Dikadi)—guilty of criminal conspiracy, arson, and culpable homicide. These charges were brought under sections 97(1), 337, and 221 of the Kogi State Penal Code.
The prosecution, led by counsel M. A. Abaji, presented evidence that the accused, armed with machetes and locally made guns, attacked the Akwu community, set properties ablaze, and murdered Chief Sule, his brother, and another victim. The gruesome nature of the attack was highlighted by the dismemberment of one victim, whose remains were found in a well.
Despite the defense counsel, Isaac Ekpa, arguing that the prosecution had not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, Justice Seidu concluded that the prosecution had indeed met the burden of proof. He emphasized that the defendants’ denials did not constitute a substantial defense.
“I am fully satisfied with the evidence provided by the prosecution. The prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt,” Justice Seidu stated. He sentenced the five defendants to death by hanging but acquitted two others, Yakubu Ikoja and Abdulmumuni Sale, due to insufficient evidence against them.
The prosecution also revealed ongoing efforts to apprehend additional suspects who remain at large, including David Adoyi Abah, Tahir Abdul, Solomon Odawn Ogbo, Jibrin Okpanachi, Farouk Okpanachi, and Francis Bala Abonny.