Court Sentences Maid To Death For Murder Of Mrs. Igbinedion

MICHAEL AKINOLA

A Court in Benin, the Edo State capital, has sentenced a maid, Miss Dominion Okoro, to death over the alleged killing of Mrs. Maria Oredola Igbinedion, mother of former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion.

Justice Efe Ikponmwoba of an Edo State High Court found the 25-year old maid, Miss Okoro, guilty of killing Madam Igbinedion, 85, with a stool with the intent to rob her of the sum of N100,000 on 1st December, 2021, at her uptown residence in Ugbor, Benin City, Edo State.

Justice Ikponmwoba held that the maid after the killing, used cotton wool to cover the nose of the deceased and thereafter called a cab to escape from the house the following morning after the brutal killing.

The maid had confessed to the Police that she bought Indian hemp which she used in preparing a meal for the deceased in order to weaken and kill her without struggle.

The Trial Judge held that going by the evidence of the pathologist on the cause of death, and evidence of other prosecution witnesses, in addition to the maid’s confessional statement, it was safe for the Court to send her to the gallows.

The maid’s elder sister, Patience Okoro, however, escaped having a date with the hangman as the Court held that the only evidence linking her with the case was that the younger sister called her to inform her after committing the crime.