Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Jevaun Rhashan
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Friday, March 13, 2026, has convicted and sentenced three men to death by hanging for their involvement in the heinous murder of a pharmacist, concluding a long‑running prosecution in a case that shocked communities in the Ogoni region and beyond. The ruling was delivered by Justice Augusta Chukwu, presiding over the matter.
The convicts are Confidence Kirinee, popularly known as “General Ilia,” Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha. The court found them guilty of conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping and murder in connection with the killing of the pharmacist, identified as Muenalo Sunday, during an attack that occurred on March 5, 2019, in the Zaakpo community of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
In the same judgment, the trial judge also convicted a fourth defendant, Loveday Legah, on a separate count of cultism and sentenced him to life imprisonment for his role in the criminal activities of the group.
The prosecution presented evidence, including confessional statements and witness testimonies, that proved beyond reasonable doubt the defendants’ involvement in the violent crime. According to the court record, the perpetrators were members of the Iceland secret cult group, a criminal cult organisation operating in parts of southern Nigeria.
Testimony and evidence before the court established that the victim, Muenalo Sunday, was allegedly lured, abducted and taken to a forested location where he was murdered. The court heard that his head and other sensitive organs were severed, his remains were dumped in a pit, and parts of his body were taken to a cult shrine in a neighbouring bush community, a practice commonly associated with cult‑related rites.
Justice Chukwu ruled that the evidence, including voluntary statements by some of the accused, showed deliberate, premeditated acts by the convicted men to kidnap, mutilate and kill the victim as part of cult activities. The judge held that the prosecution had successfully met the burden of proof required for conviction under Nigerian criminal law. As a result, Confidence Kirinee, Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha were sentenced to be hanged by the neck until they are confirmed dead.
Counsel for the convicted men declined to comment after the judgment was delivered. However, the prosecution, led by Chief State Counsel Precious Ordu of the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, praised the thoroughness of the trial and judgement. Ordu stated the outcome represented justice both for the deceased pharmacist and his surviving relatives.
The widow of the slain pharmacist, Pretty Neewa‑Sunday, expressed relief and satisfaction with the verdict. She described the judgment as a long‑awaited closure to years of pain and uncertainty following the brutal killing of her husband. She noted that the ruling would allow her late husband’s soul to rest, acknowledging the emotional weight the case had placed on her family since 2019.
This case began with the abduction of Muenalo Sunday in Zaakpo community, a rural area in Khana Local Government Area known for occasional cult violence and criminal activity. On March 5, 2019, the pharmacist was reportedly taken from his home or workplace and never seen alive again. Early investigations by the Rivers State Police Command’s Anti‑Cultism Unit and detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department linked the crime to a cult gang involved in violent criminal acts, including targeted attacks and ritualistic killings.
During the lengthy trial, police investigators and prosecution witnesses detailed the discovery of the victim’s badly mutilated remains. Court records showed that parts of his body had been removed and taken to a shrine — a characteristic pattern of cult‑related ceremonial violence. The prosecution faced the task of tying the accused to the crime scene, establishing their membership in the cult group and presenting corroborating physical and testimonial evidence before the court.
The conviction and death sentences mark a significant development in the state’s legal response to cult‑related violence. Cult groups have been a persistent security concern in parts of southern Nigeria, particularly in Rivers State, where clandestine organisations often engage in violent clashes, intimidation, extrajudicial killings and other criminal conduct. Analysts say the groups are deeply embedded within some communities, complicating law‑enforcement efforts to dismantle their networks.
Justice Chukwu’s decision sends a strong message about the judiciary’s stance on brutal and premeditated killings. The maximum penalty under Nigerian criminal law for murder, especially when aggravated by elements such as kidnapping and cultism, is the death penalty, which the court imposed on the three convicted men.
Stone Reporters note that the case’s conclusion brings to an end a protracted legal battle that spanned several years, reflecting the complexity of securing convictions in violent cult cases where evidence must link clandestine activities to individual defendants beyond reasonable doubt. Families and community members have welcomed the outcome while acknowledging that broader efforts are needed to curtail cult violence and protect vulnerable populations in affected regions.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments