Breaking: A’Ibom murdered job applicant: Court sentences suspect to death by hanging

Ini Billie, Uyo

The Akwa Ibom State High Court 9, sitting in Uyo and presided over by Justice Bassey Nkanang, on Thursday, 4 August 2022, sentenced Uduak Frank Akpan to death by hanging for the murder of a job seeker, Iniubong Umoren.

Delivering judgment, Nkanang, who ruled that the convict would die by hanging, however, discharged and acquitted the second accused, Frank Akpan (father of the convict) and the third accused, Bassey Anwan (sister of the convict).

Justice Nkanang stated in a two-part judgement that Uduak Akpan is sentenced to life imprisonment for the case of rape, and would also die by hanging for the case of murder.

Speaking, Justice Nkanang said, “The defendant, Uduak Frank Akpan confessed that “I first used a condom to have sex with Iniubong Umoren and later removed the condom because I did not enjoy the sex.

“She became infuriated and I reached out to a stabilizer and a box iron and used it to hit her abdominal part and started to bleed. I hit her again and she screamed. I used her jean trousers and strangled her and she became lifeless”.

The deceased, Miss Umoren, a 26-year-old graduate of Philosophy from the University of Uyo, and an indigene of Nung Ita Ikot Essien, Oruk Anam Local Government Area, was raped, murdered and buried in a shallow grave by the convict.

It was gathered that Uduak Akpan lured the deceased to his family resident at Nung Ikono Obio village in Uruan local government area for a job interview in April 2021, where she was killed.

Umoren was an orphan awaiting her call-up to the mandatory National Youth Service programme before she was murdered.

While in court, the convict tried to escape but was caught.