AN Umuahia Magistrate Court presided over by Mr. John Ukpai has sentenced a pregnant woman, Ijeoma Amarachi and Johnson Ndubuisi to 10 years imprisonment for attacking Mr. Anyalewechi Onwuchekwa with acid.
The court found them guilty of attempt to murder their fellow worker by pouring acid on him. Both Ijeoma Amarachi, Johnson Ndubuisi and Anyalewechi were staff of BAWAS Petroleum Ltd,Umuahia.
Ijeoma Amarachi, 25 (F), and Ndubuisi Johnson 27 (M) were charged on two count charge of conspiracy and attempted murder of one Anyalewechi Onwuchekwe, all staff of Bawas Filling Station at Umuabali, Umuokpara in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia state.
The prosecution claimed they committed the offence at Bawas Filling Station on September 13, 2008. Delivering the judgment, Chief Magistrate John Ukpai, said his court after reviewing the submissions by the prosecution and defence counsel was convinced that the accused persons committed the offence as charged.
According to him, “they are callous and wicked. This type of people should be kept away from the society for sometime” and handed them 10 years imprisonment on each count. But the sentences are to run concurrently but hard labour.
“After reviewing this case and the evidence before me, I am convinced that the two accused persons committed this crime and for doing such, two accused persons are supposed to be kept out the environment where right thinking people stay for some time”, Ukpai said.
In another charge, U/508/C/2008, the court also sentenced same Ijeoma Amarachi and Kelechi Okorie (M) to 7 years imprison for conspiring to steal N14, 858, 264.58 million property of Bawas Filling Station.
