Babu Emmanuel Lokiri, the 24-year-old man sentenced to death for killing the three siblings at Rock City in Juba in South Sudan on August 1, 2020, has been hanged.
The President of the High Court High Court, Ogwili Kuot announced the execution on Friday, January 7, 2022, saying that Babu was hanged in the afternoon in Juba, the South Sudanese capital.
Babu was first condemned by the court to death in August 2020 after the court discovered that he slaughtered the three children.
Babu, 24, was found guilty of the gruesome killing of 9-year-old Naomi, 7-year-old Blessing and 4-year old Nor Edward.
Judge Kuot says Babu was killed after all the court procedures were completed that mandated his hanging.
“Emmanuel Babu Lokiri was hanged today 7th Jan, 2022 at around 2pm”, Judge Ogwili Kuot told Eye Radio on Friday.
“The process was done according the prison procedures. Nobody is hanged without approval form the President of the Republic”.
The convict was tried by Justice Douth Kulang, who found Babu, guilty of the gruesome killing of 9-year-old Naomi, 7-year-old Blessing and 4-year old Nor Edward.
“The court has found that the accused person is guilty of charges of murder under Section 206 of the Penal Code Act 2008,” Judge Kulang announced.
According to Article 206, premeditated murder is considered if the act that caused the death was committed with the intention of causing the death or if the perpetrator of the act knew that the death was a probable result rather than merely a possible result of an act or any bodily harm that was intended to cause it with the same act.
Babu used a machete to end the lives, the court heard.
At the final session, the court asked the defendant’s lawyer, Gamer Elden Mohamed Al Hassan, if he had any reasons to reduce the penalty.
Mohamed said his client – a medical student – should get a leaner sentence given that he could help the country through his work when he graduates as a doctor.
But Boutros Yai, the public prosecutor, rejected the request – arguing that the accused has another brother and that he depends on his parents and he does not support any person.
Then the judge consulted the victims’ parents on whether they would forgive Babu, who earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, they refused and requested the court to punish Babu with “any sentence harder than hanging”.
“The convict, Babu Emmanuel Lokiri, will be hanged by the neck till death,” he added.
The case was taken to the Supreme Court for confirmation after 15 days of appeal.
The judge also ordered that the murder weapon be “destroyed in the criminal court by the court police”.
The murders angered South Sudanese all over the world, including President Salva Kiir who promised to ensure that the killer faced justice.