Uchendu Mark – Port Harcourt
A State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced one Telema Amaso to death by hanging and one Ndubuisi Chukwuemeka for fourteen years imprisonment for the murder of late Mrs Helen Ibiba Bobmauel who was strangled to death in 2013 at her residence in Woji axis of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of River State.
Amaso who was convicted for murder was a house help to Late Mrs Bobmanuel and her late husband as at the time the crime was committed.
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Telema Amaso and one Ndubuisi Chukwuemeka were charged with murder, conspiracy and stealing, but the charge for conspiracy to murder was struck out and accessory to the fact of murder to the second defendant.
Justice Silverline Iragonima who delivered judgement said the first and second defendants were convicted because of overwhelming evidence before the court including the confessional statements given to the police which indicated that they committed the crime.
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Justice Iragonima said even though the first defendant Telema Amaso denied and retracted his confessional statements, he failed to convince the court that he never committed the crime.
On the conviction of the second defendant Ndubuisi Chukwuemeka for stealing, Justice Iragonima said the court found him guilty because he could not convince the court over his claims that he never knew that the first defendant has committed crime.
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Counsels to the convict, Chinedum Ugwu said they will seek the advice of the first defendant if he plans to challenge the judgment of the court.
Our correspondent reports that the two convicts were arrested on 17th September 2013 shortly after it was found out that their victim has been murdered and her properties worth five million naira including salon vehicle, laptop and phone were taken away from her house by the first defendant who was assisted by the second defendant.
