Tina Amanda
A Rivers State High court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced one Telema Amaso to death by hanging for the murder of Helen Ibiba Bobmanuel who was strangled to death at her residence in the Woji area of the state in 2013.
The accused, Telema Amaso and one Ndubuisi Chukwuemeka were tried for murder, conspiracy to commit murder and stealing but the conspiracy to commit murder accusation was struck out for the second defendant.
Amaso, who was convicted of murder, was employed as a domestic staff to late Mrs Bobmanuel and her late husband at the time he committed the crime.
The trial Judge, Justice Silverline Iragunima in her judgment, said that the first and second defendants were convicted with overwhelming evidence before the court including the confessional statements made to the police which indicted them of committing the crime.
Justice Iragunima ruled that though the first defendant, Telema Amaso denied and retracted his confessional statement, he failed to convince the court that he did not commit the crime.
Justice Iragunima, while convicting the 2nd defendant, Ndubuisi Chukwuemeka for stealing, ruled that the Defendant did not convince the court enough to discharge him of the offence, after claiming he had no knowledge that the first defendant had committed such crime.
On his part, Counsel to the two convicts Chinedum Ugwu said they will seek the advice of Telema Amaso if he will challenge the judgment of the court.
Recall that Telema Amaso and Ndubuisi Chukwuemeka were arrested on 17 September 2013, shortly after the murder of Mrs Hellen Ibiba Bobmanuel with her properties worth five million naira, including a Hyundai Elantra saloon car, laptop and phones taken away from her house by the 1st Defendant, with the assistance of the 2nd Defendant.
