A soldier, Lance Corporal Oge Etudo has been sentenced to death by hanging by an Abuja High Court for rape and culpable homicide.

Etudo had abducted, stabbed and raped a married woman identified as Binta Usman Kadede to death inside the bush on March, 27, 2014.

The randy soldier was previously attached to a battalion of the Nigerian Army at Lungi Barracks in Abuja.

The trial Justice, A.S Adepoju said

pictorial evidence adduced before the court showed that the defendant gruesomely murdered his victim.

“I will not also show mercy to him”, the Judge who was almost moved to tears declared.

Etudo however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He said he was at the vicinity where the crime was committed on the day but was unaware of what happened.

“I was a guard commander in my Commander Tango’s house. I took a break by 10 am after submitting my arms and ammunition to my junior, I left to Dei-Dei to see my friend called Igwe at Dei-Dei to discuss about my planned white weeding.

“I stopped at Dei-Dei to urinate, in the process I was attacked by some hoodlums who inflicted injuries in me. I ran to the Conoil filling station”, he added.

“On reaching the Conoil, I shouted thief! thief! and fainted due to loss of blood.

“I did not know what happened after regaining consciousness, I found myself in the hospital naked.”

A witness, Usman Ishaq told the court that he saw the convict Force the deceased into the bush.

“He was a passenger on a motorbike,(okada) when he came towards the deceased side, he told the Okada rider to stop. He dropped from the motorcycle and asked him to go. And he forced the deceased – a milk seller, into the bush.

“When I got to the point where they entered the bush, I met the accused person on top of the deceased with knife. He was stabbing her on the neck and on the abdomen”.

He said he raised alarm and the defendant was caught before he could escape.

A medical report tendered by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Simon Lough reads, “The body of a middle aged female with obvious sharp metal object injuries to the neck anterior abdominal wall around the umbilicus and around the Vulva areas. The neck injuries revealed sharp mental lacerations on the back of the neck with cervical fractures and severe haemorrhage.”

Justice Adepoju who said the evidences were convincing enough sentenced the defendant to death.

“The accused is hereby convicted of the offence of rape.

“The accused person is hereby sentenced to death by hanging for the offence of culpable homicide under section 221 of the Panel Code.

“He is to pay the supreme price for his callousness and his ungodliness. “He has shown no mercy by slaying the victim, I have no mercy for him as well. On the charge of rape, the accused is sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour. The terms are to run concurrently”, Justice Adepoju held.