Uchenna Odono, the younger brother of Ikechukwu Odono, who chairs Ohaukwu Local Government in Ebonyi State, has been sentenced to death by hanging—alongside three others—for the murder of a 26-year-old man, Chinonso Elom.
The sentence was handed down by Justice Esther Otah of the Ebonyi State High Court, Ohaukwu Division.
Uchenna and his co-convicts—Anthony Elom (a.k.a. Tidy), Chibueze Onwe, and Chukwuemeka Ugah (a.k.a. Parity)—were found guilty of brutally killing Chinonso in front of his shop near the Okwo Ngbo main market.
The tragic incident happened on February 5, 2023.
The court heard that the men drove a Sienna van branded with a political campaign sticker—a vehicle tied to a well-known party in the state.
They were reportedly accompanied by a fifth person, ThankGod Onwe, as they confronted Chinonso, demanding to know his brother’s whereabouts following a personal conflict.
When Chinonso couldn’t answer, they tried forcing him into the van.
He resisted. That’s when Anthony Elom allegedly pulled a gun and shot him in the head, killing him instantly.
Justice Otah said witness accounts and forensic evidence tied the suspects to the crime beyond reasonable doubt.
A gun recovered from them had been fired last on the same day as the killing.
In her chilling ruling, the judge pronounced the same fate for each man: “You will be hanged with rope until you die. May God save your soul.”
The case has sparked fresh outrage over the link between political figures and violent crimes in local communities.
