19th January, 2024
Three men identified as Boma Thompson, Emelike Mathias, and Daniel Thankgod have been sentenced to death by hanging or lethal injection by Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt for allegedly conspiring to kidnap and murder one Chief Abbot Ogbobula in 2017.
The Police had arraigned four suspects on four charges of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, conspiracy to murder, and murder of late Chief Abbot Ogbobula before Rivers State High Court in 2017.
But while delivering judgment in the case on Thursday, Justice Monina Danagogo convicted only the three men, while the fourth suspect, Goodnews Nwoka was discharged and acquitted.
Chief Ogbobula was kidnapped in the Ahoada community of Rivers by the convicted men and held hostage in the bush where he later died and was buried in a shallow grave by his abductors.
However, following investigation, the kidnappers were arrested and they led security operatives to bush where the remains of Ogbobula were exhumed.
Justice Monina Danagogo convicted the three suspects on the three charges of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping of Late Chief Abbot Ogbobula and murder of Ogbobula and sentenced to death by hanging or by lethal injection on Thursday.