The Delta State High Court in Asaba, Nigeria, has sentenced Inspector Ubi Ebri of the Delta State Police Command to death for the murder of Mr. Onyeka Ibeh, a phone dealer.
On Tuesday, 11th June 2024, Justice C. D. Diai convicted and sentenced Ebri for fatally shooting Ibeh on April 5, 2023, at a police checkpoint along Ugbolu Road in Asaba, a city in Nigeria. Ibeh, a well-known phone dealer, was stopped by a police team for a search. After waiting in his car for the officers to approach, Ibeh decided to drive away when they were not forthcoming. Inspector Ebri then opened fire on the vehicle, hitting Ibeh in the head and killing him instantly.
The killing sparked protests by youths in Asaba, Nigeria, who marched through the streets and to police headquarters demanding justice.
The prosecution, led by E.H. Edema, a director in the Ministry of Justice, stated that Ebri was part of a police patrol team conducting a stop-and-search exercise on the day of the incident. Speaking to journalists after the judgment, Edema called it a “landmark judgment” and emphasized that justice had been served for the deceased and society at large.
Mr. Ifeanyi Ibeh, the elder brother of the deceased, attended the court session and praised the court for delivering justice to his family.
