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Ebonyi Court Sentences Man to Death Over Secret Relationship Murder

Convict poisoned teenage student after their affair was revealed

An Izzi High Court sitting in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, has sentenced a 30-year-old man, Boniface Abraham Edigbo, to death by hanging for the murder of an 18-year-old secondary school student, Ogbonna Joshua.

The judgment was delivered on Friday, June 13, 2025, marking the end of a harrowing case that exposed the tragic consequences of secrecy, betrayal, and violence.

Murder Following Exposure of Hidden Relationship

The incident dates back to Tuesday, May 23, 2023, when Edigbo killed Joshua after the teenager reportedly disclosed their homosexual relationship to others. The pair had been involved in a secret relationship since 2021.

According to court records, they entered into a mutual agreement in 2023 never to reveal their relationship. However, when Joshua began suffering from anal complications, he reported the issue to the school principal and fellow students. The disclosure made their relationship public, triggering the deadly chain of events.

Poisoned After Last Encounter in Hotel

On the night of Monday, May 22, 2023, Edigbo invited Joshua to Edigbo Guest House, where they spent the night together. The next morning, Edigbo reportedly mixed a Fanta soft drink with insecticide and gave it to the boy, who drank it and died shortly after.

Following the murder, Edigbo left the hotel and confided in a woman about what had happened. He claimed he hadn’t intended to kill Joshua but acted out of panic because their relationship had been exposed.

The woman, feigning support, told him to wait while she supposedly went to find money to help him flee the state. Instead, she alerted the local youth, who apprehended Edigbo and brought him back to the hotel. There, they discovered Joshua’s lifeless body in Room 006.

Court Delivers Final Judgment

Presiding judge Justice Ruth Okeh found Edigbo guilty of murder and handed down the sentence of death by hanging. The courtroom received the verdict with a mix of relief and solemnity, as the painful details of the case had deeply unsettled the community.

The prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Ijeoma Mike-Aja Nwachukwu, welcomed the verdict, calling it “a clear message that justice will catch up with anyone who engages in such heinous acts.”

She added that the ruling would serve as a deterrent to others, particularly those who might attempt to cover up personal secrets through violence.

A Community Grieves, Justice Served

The case has stirred conversations across Ebonyi State, not only about the criminal act but also about the larger issues of youth protection, sexual health awareness, and the consequences of societal stigma.

As the court brings closure to this chilling case, one question lingers:

Will this tragedy spark deeper conversations on the dangers of secrecy and the urgent need for safer spaces for vulnerable individuals in Nigeria?

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