A Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has sentenced four men to death for the gruesome murder of a commercial taxi driver, Mr. Olarenwaju Ajayi, who was killed during a trip from Yenagoa to Onne, Rivers State.
The convicts — Sunday Imoh Essien, Opena Akpabio, Odogha Ebi, and Clifford Michael — were found guilty of conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder in a judgment delivered on Thursday, July 10, 2025, by Hon. Justice Patience Ama Zuofa Diri in Court 11, Onopa.
According to court proceedings, the four men had chartered Mr. Ajayi under the pretense of attending a naval program in Onne, Rivers State. The unsuspecting driver picked them up from Agudama-Epie and began the journey to Onne.
But tragedy struck along the way — at Okogbe in Rivers State, the first defendant, Sunday Imoh, asked the driver to pull over, pretending he needed to relieve himself. The moment the car stopped, the men launched a violent attack, strangling Mr. Ajayi with a marine rope and stabbing him to death.
After committing the crime, the group disposed of Mr. Ajayi’s body and drove his vehicle to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where they sold it for just ₦450,000.
Reacting to the verdict, Bayelsa State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Biriyai Dambo (SAN), said the ruling reflects the government’s zero-tolerance for violent crime.
“This conviction sends a strong message — that Bayelsa State is committed to upholding justice and ensuring that those who take the lives of others will face the full weight of the law,” he stated.
