A 21-year-old man, Ifeanyi Maxwell Dike, has been sentenced to death by hanging for the rape, murder, and dismemberment of eight-year-old Chikamso Victory Nmezurumba in Rivers State in August 2017.
Dike, who is reportedly related to the victim, committed the horrific crime at Messiah Close in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. After raping and killing Chikamso, he mutilated her body by removing her tongue, breasts, vagina, and eyes. He was apprehended by local vigilantes while attempting to dispose of the body.
Although Dike was initially handed over to the police, he managed to escape with the assistance of a dismissed officer named Sgt Johnbosco Okoroeze. Dike fled to Plateau State but was eventually captured and brought back to face trial in Rivers State.
Today, on May 13, Justice Adolphus Enebeli of the Rivers State High Court delivered the verdict, sentencing Dike and his accomplice, Ugochukwu Onwuamiro, to death by hanging for their roles in the rape and murder of the child.
During the nearly three-hour judgment, Justice Enebeli condemned the actions of Dike and Ugochukwu as demonic and deemed the death penalty appropriate. The judge also found the dismissed police officer guilty of criminal negligence for allowing Dike to escape custody 24 hours after his initial arrest. As a result, the officer’s sentence was reduced to one year in consideration of his time in custody since August 2017, dismissal from the police force, and his familial responsibilities.