The Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced a dismissed soldier, Corporal Stephen Iweh, to death by hanging over the brutal killing of a Port Harcourt-based businessman, Enobong Jimmy.
The tragic incident occurred on May 23, 2021, along the East-West Road in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area. The victim, who managed a clearing and forwarding company, was said to have offered the ex-soldier a lift from Onne, Rivers State, to Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom.
However, on reaching Oboro Junction, Iweh reportedly shot Jimmy dead and fled with his Toyota Matrix vehicle and personal belongings. His escape was short-lived as security operatives tracked him to a guest house in Ukanafun, where he was arrested. An AK-47 rifle, which he had illegally kept since 2018, was also recovered.
Investigations revealed that the 39-year-old convict, a father of three from Imo State, claimed he found the rifle in Dambou, Borno State, while on military assignment before his dismissal.
Delivering judgment, Justice Bassey Nkanang held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted Iweh on charges of murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms.
The court consequently sentenced him to death by hanging for murder, death by hanging for armed robbery, and 10 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms.
Although the convict pleaded for mercy, the court declined his appeal, describing his actions as “heinous and calculated.”
Late Jimmy’s widow, Arit Enobong Jimmy, who testified during trial, recalled that her husband had left Port Harcourt that fateful day to visit his sister in Ikot Abasi but never returned home.
