BELGORE, J.S.C.(Delivering the Leading Judgment): The appellant, Augustine Nwangbomu was to marry one Juliana Igwe, a child. It seems that by custom of Ezza in Abakaliki she had to stay with the proposed husband for a while to decide whether they could live together as husband wife. Juliana Igwe (P.W.9) ran back home several times - about fourteen or fifteen times according to her Uncle Michael Onele, P.W.8. The appellant was apparently unhappy at the prospect of losing Juliana.
Michael Onele (P.W.8), a teacher got home from school and saw the appellant in their compound. The appellant told P.W.8 he had come to effect a settlement on the matter of Juliana and himself. Juliana was very young at the time, perhaps about 12 or 13 years. P.W.8 pleaded with the appellant to allow the girl to mature; the appellant apparently took offence for this simple advice. As P.W.8 was moving away from him the appellant attacked him (P.W.8) with a matchet at his back, neck, ear, right shoulder and on th…