A High Court sitting in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, has fixed Wednesday, July 29, 2026, for judgment in the long-running trial of three men accused of kidnapping and killing a student of Delta State University, Abraka, Elozino Ogege.
The case, which began in 2019, has faced repeated delays over the years before the court finally concluded hearings and reserved judgment.
At the end of proceedings, lawyers in the case adopted their final written addresses, after which the judge announced a date for judgment.
Counsel for the 1st defendant, S. C. Okehielem, asked the court to discharge and free his client, arguing that the prosecution did not prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
Lawyers representing the 2nd and 3rd defendants, Cosmas Ogugua and Ben Okoh of the Legal Aid Council, also urged the court to acquit their clients, insisting that there was not enough evidence to convict them.
A fourth accused person, Robinson Obajero Ojokojo, said to be a traditional healer, was originally part of the case but died before the trial was concluded.
On the prosecution side, the Omamuzo Erebe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), led the legal team and asked the court to convict all the defendants, insisting that the evidence presented clearly proved their guilt.
The prosecution maintained that the facts and exhibits presented during the trial established the offences beyond reasonable doubt.
The defendants — Macaulay Desmond Oghenemaro, Nwosisi Benedict Uche, and Enaike Onoriode — are standing trial over the alleged abduction and murder of Elozino Ogege in November 2018.
Elozino, a 300-level Mass Communication student at Delta State University, Abraka, was reportedly kidnapped and killed in circumstances the prosecution linked to ritual-related activities. The case sparked nationwide outrage at the time, especially within the university community and among human rights groups.
The court’s final judgment, expected on July 29, 2026, is widely seen as a major step toward closing one of the most closely followed criminal cases in Delta State in recent years.