4 kidnappers to die by hanging in A/Ibom
Four members of a notorious nine-man kidnapping syndicate who terrorised residents of Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State and neighbouring communities in Rivers State have been sentenced to death by hanging. An Akwa Ibom State High Court presided over by Justice Archibong Archibong sentenced the convicts to death by hanging after they were found guilty […]
Death by Hanging
Four members of a notorious nine-man kidnapping syndicate who terrorised residents of Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State and neighbouring communities in Rivers State have been sentenced to death by hanging.
An Akwa Ibom State High Court presided over by Justice Archibong Archibong sentenced the convicts to death by hanging after they were found guilty of kidnapping the Proprietor of Jon KAMSY Supermarket, Ikot Abasi, Mr Chijioke Anyanwu, and collecting a N3m ransom from his family.
The condemned men are Marvelous Ndah (38), native of Ikot Iyire, Edemaya in Ikot Abasi LGA; Anthony Anthony Akpan (37), an indigene of Ekput in Ibiono Ibom LGA; Aniema Eshiet (34) from Oborenyin in Ikot Abasi; and Onyebule Gift Ogbonna (41) from Omuma LGA of Rivers State.
It was learnt that the convicts kidnapped Anyanwu in front of his residence in Ikot Abasi on January 25, 2016.
It was learnt that Anyanwu died in their custody and his corpse was buried in a shallow grave in Ikot Iyire, Edemaya, Ikot Abasi.
When the shallow grave was discovered four months later, the corpse was exhumed and the family buried it in his hometown of Agulu, Anambra State.
The convicts stood trial alongside two other defendants, Uche Success Nwokocha and Chidi Christian Nwokoma, who were discharged and acquitted for lack of evidence linking them to the kidnap.
Delivering judgment, Justice Archibong found the four defendants guilty as charged, noting that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS) led to the arrest of Marvelous Ndah on April 26, 2016, on Abak Road in Uyo, who confessed to his involvement in the kidnapping of the lecturer and several other abductions.