Soldier sentenced to death by hanging over armed robbery, murder
Soldier sentenced to death by hanging over armed robbery murder
A High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced a former Nigerian Army soldier, Corporal Stephen Iweh, to death by hanging for the murder of a 42-year-old man, Christopher Enobong Jimmy.
Justice Bassey Nkanang, who delivered the judgment, ruled that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Iweh deliberately killed Jimmy and stole his vehicle and personal belongings while armed with an illegal firearm.
The tragic incident occurred on May 23, 2021, along the East-West Road in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. According to court findings, the victim, Jimmy — a manager at a clearing and forwarding company in Port Harcourt — had offered Iweh a ride in his Toyota Matrix after encountering him at the Trailer Park in Onne, Rivers State.
Dressed in full military uniform, Iweh was offered a lift to Akwa Ibom. During the journey, the pair stopped at Oboro Junction in Ikot Abasi, reportedly to rest and eat. It was there that the 39-year-old soldier fatally shot Jimmy before fleeing with the car and valuables.
Investigations revealed that Iweh, a dismissed officer from the Nigerian Army’s 6 Battalion, Ibagwa, in Abak, had been in illegal possession of an AK-47 rifle, which he claimed to have recovered during military operations in Dambou, Borno State, in 2018. He admitted to keeping the weapon as a personal arm, without any official authorization or license.
On the day of the crime, Iweh had abandoned his official duty at the Army Store in Abak. He was later tracked and arrested at Andy Guest House in Ukanafun, several kilometers from the crime scene. The AK-47 rifle used in the killing was recovered at the time of his arrest.
Justice Nkanang, in his ruling, noted that Iweh, a native of Ameke Nkor in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, acted with clear intent when he murdered Jimmy, a native of Ikot Abasi, and stole his car and belongings.
The court found him guilty of murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Justice Nkanang convicted him on a three-count charge. He was sentenced to death by hanging for murder, death by hanging for armed robbery, and 10 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms.
In his plea for mercy, the convict begged the court for what he described as a “soft landing,” but his allocutus was rejected.
The late Christopher Jimmy is survived by his 34-year-old widow, Arit, who tearfully recounted that her husband had left Port Harcourt to visit his sister and family in Ikot Abasi, but did not return home.
