Anambra State High Court located in Onitsha has passed a death sentence on Ikechukwu Udensi, infamously known as Ikanda, a well-known revenue collection agent, for the murder of Ndubuisi Nwokolo, an Onitsha businessman.
Ikanda had been facing charges since 2019 for the brutal murder of Nwokolo, which took place on June 29, 2018, just one day before the official ban on commercial motorcycles in Onitsha.
Prior to his apprehension and subsequent prosecution, Ikanda was an agent for the Anambra state government’s revenue collection department.
The incident occurred when Ikanda attempted to extort a commercial motorcyclist who was transporting Nwokolo on Otumoye street, Odoakpu, Onitsha. Nwokolo intervened, and in response, Ikanda fatally stabbed him.
Following the act, Ikanda evaded law enforcement until the Anambra State Police Command, under the guidance of CP Mustapha Dandaura, declared him a wanted individual and offered a reward of one million naira for information leading to his capture. He was eventually arrested on March 31, 2019, and subsequently faced prosecution.
The conviction brought some relief to the grieving family of Nwokolo, who had been seeking justice for the past five years. The verdict was delivered at the Onitsha High Court by Justice D. A. Onyefu, who ruled that the convict shall be hanged until he is deceased and should be held in prison custody in the meantime.
The details of the case, Charge No 0/48c/2019, between the State and Ikechukwu Udensi (Ikanda), were shared with the media. The prosecuting counsel was Tonia Nnabuife, Senior State Counsel for the state, while Barr C. J. Agbata represented the convicted.
Mrs Kate Nwokolo, the mother of the deceased, who had been persistently pleading for justice for her son, the main source of income for her family, expressed her satisfaction with the court’s ruling.
SOURCE: DailyTrust
IMAGE: The Sun
