A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has delivered a landmark judgment, sentencing three individuals to death by hanging for their involvement in the kidnapping and brutal murder of pharmacist Muenalo Sunday. The crime took place in the Khana Local Government Area of the state. The trial judge, Justice Augusta Chukwu, on Friday handed down the death sentence to Confidence Kirinee, known as General Illa, Precious Mona, and Soniabari Sagha, after finding them guilty of multiple charges including conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping, and murder. In the same verdict, Loveday Legah was convicted for membership of a secret cult group linked to the crime and received a life imprisonment sentence.

The court meticulously established the charges against the convicts beyond all reasonable doubt. Justice Chukwu noted that the accused persons, identified as members of the notorious Iceland cult group, were directly responsible for the abduction and subsequent killing of Muenalo Sunday on March 5, 2019, within the Zaakpo community of Khana LGA. The judgment was heavily reliant on compelling confessional statements made by the defendants and other robust evidence presented throughout the trial, which collectively proved that the accused acted in concert to commit the heinous acts of kidnapping and murder.

Details presented during the trial revealed the gruesome nature of the crime. The victim, Muenalo Sunday, was not only killed but also severely mutilated, with his head and other vital body parts removed. His remains were callously dumped in a pit, while the severed head was reportedly transported to a shrine located in a bush within a neighboring community. Consequently, Justice Chukwu ordered the execution of Kirinee, Mona, and Sagha by hanging until they are confirmed dead, underscoring the severity of their offenses. Loveday Legah, for his part in the cult activities that precipitated the crime, is to spend the remainder of his life incarcerated.

Following the proceedings, counsel for the convicts opted not to comment on the court's decision. However, the prosecuting counsel, Precious Ordu, a Chief State Counsel from the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, expressed profound satisfaction with the judgment. Ordu commended the ruling as “thorough” and declared it a clear demonstration that justice had been effectively served. The widow of the deceased, Pretty Neewa-Sunday, also reacted to the ruling, conveying a sense of relief and contentment with the outcome. She articulated her belief that “the judgment would help bring closure to the family” and finally allow the soul of her late husband to rest in peace.