Oct. 9 (UPI) -- A Nigerian court handed out a rare death penalty sentence Friday to convicted serial killer Gracious David-West, accused in the deaths of nine women.
Prosecutors said David-West attacked the women in a series of incidents that started on July 19, 2019, in Port Harcourt in the Rivers State.
Authorities arrested him two months later.
Rivers State High Court Judge Adolphus Enebele sentenced David-West to death by hanging, saying that the suspect volunteered a confession while video evidence strengthened the case against him.
A second suspect, Nimi Thankgod, was acquitted of dumping the remains of one victim into the trash.
State prosecutor Chidi Eke said he hopes the judgment against David-West will serve as a deterrent for others. David-West's attorney, Vincent Chukwu said, though, he hopes to appeal the decision.
Death penalty sentences are rare in Nigeria.
In January, Maryam Sanda was sentenced to death for killing her husband in a highly publicized case that split the country over the use of the penalty.
Before that, three prisoners were executed four years ago after being on death row for two decades.
Source: upi.com, Staff, October 9, 2020
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