An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced four men to death by hanging over the kidnapping of a 62 year old retired ExxonMobil employee, Idongesit Demas Udom, whose hand was amputated after a ransom of ₦5 million was paid.
The men convicted are Chinatu Iwe Abraham, 38, from Isiala Ngwa in Abia State; William ThankGod Sunday, 30; Ubon Monday Ebebe, 30; and Saturday Jonah Udo, 43, all from Idung Nneke in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. They were found guilty on three counts of conspiracy, kidnapping and wounding with intent to maim, disfigure or disable.
Justice Gabriel Ette delivered the judgement after reading it for about four hours, ruling that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Three other defendants, Kingsley John Akpan, 32; Etimefiok Ime Ezekiel, 37; and Joseph Sunday Etim, 31, were discharged and acquitted after the court found no sufficient evidence linking them to the crime.
During the trial, the prosecution presented five witnesses, including the victim, while all seven defendants testified in their defence. Udom told the court that his ordeal stemmed from events that began on December 20, 2016, following a disagreement over plans by the second convict, William ThankGod Sunday, to organise what was described as a second “cultist carnival” in the village.
According to Udom, community elders opposed the event after a billboard advertised activities such as smoking, drinking and eating competitions, warning that it could corrupt the youths. A meeting held at his residence, where he served as administrator of the Royal Family and president of the Idung Nneke Development Association, resolved that the carnival should not hold. The matter was reported to the Divisional Police Officer in Ukanafun, who deployed officers to stop the event.
The court heard that the intervention angered the second convict, who allegedly blamed Udom for his defeat in a later village youth leadership election and sent threat messages to the village head. Udom testified that he did not take the threats seriously, noting that he had previously helped the same individual secure his release from detention in Abia State.
Evidence before the court showed that on March 16, 2017, the second convict convened a meeting with accomplices and recruited kidnappers from Abia State after local criminals refused to abduct Udom due to his respected status in the community. Udom was later kidnapped, a ₦5 million ransom was paid, and his hand was amputated.
In passing sentence, Justice Ette ordered seven years’ imprisonment for conspiracy, death by hanging for kidnapping, and three years’ imprisonment for wounding with intent to maim. While pronouncing the death sentence, the judge said, “May the Lord have mercy on your souls.”
The convicts pleaded for leniency during allocutus, but the court held that the punishment prescribed by law must apply. Security was heavily reinforced around the court premises throughout the proceedings.
Udom, now in his seventies, was present in court during the judgement and appeared visibly relieved as the verdict was delivered.
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