Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced four men to death by hanging for the kidnapping of a 62-year-old retired ExxonMobil staff from Idung Nneke in Ukanafun Local Government Area, Elder Idongesit Demas Udom, and the brutal amputation of his hand after collecting a ₦5 million ransom.

The convicts: Chinatu Iwe Abraham, 38 years old from Isiala Ngwa, Abia State; William ThankGod Sunday, 30; Ubon Monday Ebebe, 30; and Saturday Jonah Udo, 43, all from Idung Nneke in Ukanafun Local Government Area, were found guilty on all three counts bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, and wounding with intent to maim, disfigure or disable.

The judgment was delivered in a four-hour reading by Justice Gabriel Ette, who held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Three other defendants who stood trial alongside them: Kingsley John Akpan, 32 years old; Etimefiok Ime Ezekiel, 37 and Joseph Sunday Etim, 31, were discharged and acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence linking them to the crime.

In the course of the trial, the prosecution called five witnesses, including the victim, while the seven defendants testified personally.

The victim, PW1, Elder Idongesit Demas Udom, narrated how the crisis began on 20th December 2016 when the second convict, William ThankGod Sunday, attempted to organise a second “cultist carnival” in their village.

According to Udom, the billboard announcing the carnival highlighted activities such as smoking, drinking and eating competitions, prompting the elders to intervene.

A meeting was convened at his residence, being the Administrator of the Royal Family and President of Idung Nneke Development Association, where it was resolved that the carnival would not be allowed due to its corrupting influence on youths.

The elders had previously stopped a similar carnival in 2015, which they said led to the initiation of several minors into cult groups.

Following the disagreement, the village reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO of Ukanafun, who deployed officers to prevent the event from holding.

This intervention, the court heard, angered the second convict, who blamed Udom for his failure in the subsequent village youth leadership election.

He allegedly sent a threat letter to Udom’s brother, the Village Head, warning that he would kill three students from Udom’s polytechnic if he was “betrayed” again.

Despite the threats, Udom testified that he did not take them seriously, noting that he once helped secure the convict’s release from detention in Isiala Ngwa, where he had been held for robbery.

On 16th March 2017, the second convict allegedly convened a meeting with his associates, including the third convict, Ubon Monday Ebebe; the fifth defendant, Etimefiok Ime Ezekiel; and a fleeing suspect, Saviour Paul Matthew, where he mobilised kidnappers from Abia State to abduct the victim.

According to testimony, kidnappers from Ukanafun, including the notorious Iso Akpafid, had refused to kidnap Elder Idongesit Udom due to his popularity and contributions to community development.

It was this meeting, the Court held, that set the stage for the eventual abduction and mutilation of the victim after the kidnappers collected N5m ransom.

Delivering judgment, Justice Gabriel Ette held:

“From the totality of the evidence adduced before me, I hold that the following defendants: Chinatu Iwe Abraham; William ThankGod Sunday; Ubon Monday Ebebe; and Saturday Jonah Udo, are guilty as charged.”

The judge held that the prosecution successfully proved all three counts, leading to the following sentences:

Count 1 – Conspiracy: Seven years imprisonment for each convict.

Count 2 – Kidnapping: Death by hanging, with the judge pronouncing: “May the Lord have mercy on your souls.”

Count 3 – Wounding with Intent to Maim: Three years imprisonment.

Before the defendants were sentenced, they made pleas for leniency to the Court during allocutus.

There was a heavy security presence around the court premises.

The victim, now in his 70s, was present in court and appeared relieved that justice had finally been done.