A 59-year-old man, Pius Udo Ben, has been sentenced to death by hanging by the Akwa Ibom State High Court for the kidnapping of a four-year-old boy.
Udo Ben, who is a father of seven, was convicted by Justice Eno Isangedighi for the crime, but the boy has not been found to this day.
Udo Ben was found guilty of kidnapping the child while he was sleeping in his mother’s shop in Eket Local Government Area. The child’s sister left the shop to get change for a purchase of iced fish, and Udo Ben tricked her into leaving, after which he kidnapped her brother. He later left behind the fish and disappeared.
The incident occurred on June 5, 2014, and the village head-elect of Iko Eket summoned the villagers for a parade, during which the kidnapped boy’s sister identified Udo Ben among the crowd.
Justice Eno Isangedighi delivered a one-hour judgment in which she found Udo Ben guilty of kidnapping and sentenced him to death by hanging. She cited the Akwa Ibom State Internal Security and Enforcement Law, 2009, which mandates the death penalty for individuals who violate it. The law does not provide for judicial discretion to lessen the sentence.
Justice Isangedighi remarked, “The sentence of this Court upon you, Pius Udo Ben, is that you are hereby sentenced to death. You shall be hanged on the neck until you die. May the Lord have mercy on your soul.”
Udo Ben’s accomplice, Emmanuel Dickson Assam, was acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
Leave a Reply