A Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has sentenced two men to death by hanging for the murder of three people, including an in-law to Governor Douye Diri, in Kalaba community, Yenagoa Local Government Area.
The convicts, identified as 32-year-old Gideon Atama and 33-year-old Clever Ovo, were found guilty over the killings, which occurred in June 2022 and triggered outrage in the community.
The victims were identified as Odeinyefa Ogbolosingha, an in-law to Governor Diri; the Paramount Ruler of Kalaba community, HRH Kolibo Francis Amabelimo; and Samuel Oburo.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the presiding judge, Justice Michael Amadise Ekade, convicted the two defendants after reviewing the evidence presented before the court and sentenced them to death by hanging.
Atama and Ovo were arrested by a police investigation team attached to the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), formerly known as Operation Puff Adder.
The team was led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo, who coordinated investigations into the killings and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The defendants were prosecuted on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, murder and attempted murder in suit number BYHC/YHC/CR/32/2025.
The case followed police investigations that resulted in the arrest and arraignment of the suspects before the Bayelsa State High Court.
The proceedings had earlier suffered a setback following the death of another defendant, 50-year-old Bethlehem Nwanlia.
Nwanlia reportedly slumped and died within the premises of the Bayelsa State High Court on October 27, 2026, while awaiting the court’s ruling.
He was said to have developed health complications, including high blood pressure and stroke, while in custody at the Okaka Medium Correctional Centre.
His death reduced the number of defendants awaiting judgment in the case.
Following the judgment, some family members of the deceased expressed appreciation to the police officers attached to the VCRU, particularly the team led by CSP Nwaogbo, for the arrests and investigation that led to the convictions.
They also commended the Bayelsa State Government, through the Ministry of Justice, for what they described as diligent prosecution of the case.
The families said the judgment represented an important step towards justice for their loved ones, who were killed in the 2022 attack.
The case had attracted attention because of the identities of the victims, including a traditional ruler and a relative of the Bayelsa governor.
The court’s decision brings the trial of the two convicted men to a major conclusion, although the sentence remains subject to the applicable legal and judicial processes.
