TELL Magazine

Dominion Okoro, the maid who murdered Madam Maria Oredola Igbinedion, the 85-year-old mother of former Edo State governor, Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, is to die by hanging.

The death sentence was pronounced on the 25-year-old convict on Monday by an Edo State High Court sitting in Benin.

Okoro murdered the deceased December 2, 2021, at her Ugbor Road residence in Oredo local government area of Edo State, by hitting her with a stool after which she robbed her of some money and other valuables.

Okoro was arraigned on a three-count charge by police prosecutor, Orobosa Okunbor. In count one, she was accused of administering stupefying substances on the deceased; count two, murder; and count three, robbery with violence. She was convicted for all the three offenses.

While she was sentenced to death by hanging for murder, as well as for robbery with violence, she bagged life imprisonment for administering stupefying substances on the deceased.

In her judgement, the trial Judge, Justice Efe Ikponmwoba, held that the convict, also used cotton wool to stoke the nose of the deceased and thereafter, called a cab man to escape from the house early the following morning.

According to the court, Okoro had confessed to the police that she bought Indian hemp which she used in preparing meals for her boss in order to weaken and kill her without a struggle.

Justice Ikponmwonba therefore held that with the evidence of the pathologist on the cause of death, evidence of other prosecution witnesses, in addition to the convict’s confessional statement, it was safe for the court to send the convict to the gallows.

On the case of Patience Okoro, elder sister of the convict, the court noted that the only evidence linking her with the case was that Dominion called her to inform her after committing the act.

Patience was consequently discharged and acquitted of the charge of offence of accessory after murder.

The convict, who was arrested in her hometown, Calabar, Cross River State, told journalists when she was paraded at the Edo State Police Command, that she hit the deceased on her head with a stool while she was sleeping.
She said after the victim died, she stole her N100,000, a wristwatch, and other jewelry and waited until the wee hours of the morning before she escaped from the house.

According to her, “I killed mama to carry her money. She did not offend me. While she was sleeping on her bed around 12:01am on December 2, 2021, I used a stool to hit her in the head and she shouted for help, but only the gateman was around and he did not hear the shout. Mama later died”.

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