Ebonyi court sentences man to d3ath for k!lling 18-year-old boy after he revealed their homos3xual relationship
A landmark judgment has emerged from the Izzi High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, where Justice Ruth Okeh 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 tragic and disturbing incident not only shocked the local community but also stirred intense debate on issues of violence, secrecy, betrayal, and the profound consequences of societal taboos surrounding sexuality in Nigeria.
The case dates back to May 2023 when Edigbo and the deceased, Ogbonna Joshua, who was an SS2 student of Community Secondary School, Amachi, Izzi Local Government Area, were revealed to have been in a secret homosexual relationship since 2021. According to court testimonies, the duo entered into a secret covenant in 2023, pledging never to reveal their relationship to anyone. However, Joshua began experiencing severe anal health complications, which ultimately prompted him to confide in the school principal and some students, exposing their relationship to the broader community.
This revelation set the stage for a tragic sequence of events. On the night of Monday, May 22, 2023, Edigbo lured Joshua to Edigbo Guest House, located in Abakaliki. The court heard how Edigbo had premeditated the act, bringing a bottle of Fanta and a quantity of insecticide with him. The following morning, May 23, he mixed the drink with the poison and offered it to Joshua, who consumed it, leading to his death.
Following the incident, Edigbo attempted to flee the community, but in a twist of fate, he confessed to a woman he trusted about the murder and his reasons for committing it. He claimed that his actions were driven by fear of public exposure and humiliation. The woman, under the pretense of helping him escape by getting money, alerted the local youths. They apprehended Edigbo and led him back to the guest house, where Joshua’s lifeless body was discovered in Room 006.
Throughout the trial, the prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Ijeoma Mike-Aja Nwachukwu, meticulously presented the evidence, corroborated by forensic reports, witness statements, and the confession of the accused. The defense offered little resistance, primarily hinging on emotional pleas rather than substantive rebuttals.
Delivering her judgment on June 13, 2025, Justice Ruth Okeh declared that the prosecution had convincingly proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. In her statement, she condemned the premeditated and cold-blooded nature of the crime, noting that societal pressures or personal shame could never justify taking another person’s life. She affirmed that justice would not only serve as retribution for the deceased but also as a warning to others who might contemplate resolving personal crises through violence.
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Reactions to the verdict have been varied across the state and the country. Human rights activists and legal professionals largely praised the judiciary for delivering a clear and decisive ruling on a heinous act of murder. However, the underlying issue of societal intolerance toward LGBTQ+ relationships in Nigeria was brought to the fore. Some commentators argued that the tragedy might have been averted if there were broader acceptance and protective legal frameworks for sexual minorities, providing individuals with safer avenues to navigate personal relationships and health challenges.
Nigeria’s current laws criminalize same-sex relationships, contributing to a culture of secrecy, fear, and, in extreme cases, violence. In this context, the murder of Joshua, while clearly condemnable, also highlights the dangers marginalized communities face when societal prejudice is compounded by personal desperation and emotional instability.
Legal experts further emphasized that while justice was served in this particular case, Nigeria must confront the deeper issues of sexual health education, mental health awareness, and legislative reforms. Many argued that the justice system, while correctly penalizing the crime, must be supported by proactive policies that prevent such tragedies from recurring.
The prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Nwachukwu, during her post-judgment remarks, noted that “Justice is not only about punishing the guilty but about setting an example that society will not tolerate the murder of vulnerable individuals regardless of the circumstances. The courts have spoken, and it is a message to everyone that life is sacred.”
For the residents of Amachi and the larger Ebonyi State, the case leaves a scar, reflecting both the personal failings of individuals and the collective shortcomings of a society struggling with issues of sexuality, secrecy, and justice. As Nigeria continues to navigate its socio-cultural complexities, this judgment stands as a somber reminder of the fatal consequences of silence, shame, and the resort to violence in dealing with personal conflicts.
As the nation processes the lessons from this case, the hope remains that greater public discourse, legislative reforms, and societal empathy can help avert such tragedies in the future, ensuring that justice, while firm and unwavering, is complemented by compassion, understanding, and institutional change.