A state High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Monday, sentenced a woman, Mrs Agnes Nwefuru, to death by hanging for killing her co-wife and her seven children.

The Plaintiff, Ebonyi State Government, had in a suit no.HAW/13C/2017, brought against the defendant, Agnes Nwefuru, accused her of setting ablaze, the house of her co-wife, Felicia Nwefuru which led to the death of the woman and her seven children.

The plaintiff contended that the accused also burnt her own house during the evil act as a cover up.

The plaintiff further contended that the accused removed all her belongings and that of her children and took them to a safe place outside the house before committing the act.

In 2017, eight members of a family were burnt to death following a mysterious fire that engulfed their residential house around 3am at Ogboji community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Two persons survived the inferno: the husband, Mr. Sylvanus Nwefuru and Miss Ukamaka Nwefuru, one of the deceased woman’s daughters. The fire razed the two thatched houses in the compound.

Delivering the judgement, the presiding judge, Justice Uwabunkonye Onwosi, declared that the plaintiff proved that the defendant was guilty of the murder charge preferred against her.

“Nwefuru Agnes is found guilty of murder and is hereby convicted. The term of her sentence is that she be hanged by neck until she is dead”.