Soldier sentenced to death by hanging for murder of traveller who offered him lift

By Egufe Yafugborhi, Uyo

An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting successful Uyo has sentenced a dismissed soldier, Corporal Stephen Iweh of the Nigerian Army’s 6 Battalion, Ibagwa successful Abak, to decease by hanging for the execution of a traveller who had offered him a lift.

Delivering judgement connected Friday, Justice Bassey Nkanang held that the prosecution proved beyond tenable uncertainty that Iweh, 39, murdered Christopher Enobong Jimmy, 42, and robbed him of his Toyota Matrix car portion equipped with an unauthorized AK-47 rifle.

The incidental occurred connected May 23, 2021, on the East-West Road successful Ikot Abasi Local Government Area. Jimmy, a manager with a clearing and forwarding institution successful Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had fixed Iweh a escaped thrust from Trailer Park, Onne, Rivers State, to Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom.

Court records showed that astatine Oboro Junction, Ikot Abasi, the soldier—armed with an AK-47 firearm helium had illegally kept since picking it up successful Dambou, Borno State, successful 2018—shot Jimmy successful the caput earlier fleeing with his conveyance and different valuables.

Investigations revealed that Iweh, a begetter of 3 recruited into the Nigerian Army successful 2002, had abandoned his work station astatine the Army Store successful Abak to transportation retired the crime. He was aboriginal tracked to Andy Guest House successful Ukanafun, wherever helium was arrested and the firearm recovered.

Jimmy, who was driving his grey Toyota Matrix, had innocently offered the soldier—dressed successful afloat subject uniform—a lift. They reportedly stopped astatine Oboro Junction to devour and remainder erstwhile the worker struck, sidesplitting him instantly.

Justice Nkanang convicted Iweh connected a three-count complaint and sentenced him to:

Death by hanging for murder.

Death by hanging for equipped robbery.

10 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms.

The convict’s plea for leniency was rejected, arsenic the victim’s widow, Arit Jimmy, 34, wept successful tribunal portion recounting however her hubby had near Port Harcourt to sojourn his sister and ne'er returned home.

The station Soldier sentenced to decease by hanging for execution of traveller who offered him lift appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.