By Peter Dansu A High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced a dismissed soldier, Corporal Stephen Iweh, to death by hanging...
By Peter Dansu
A High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced a dismissed soldier, Corporal Stephen Iweh, to death by hanging for the murder of a Port Harcourt-based businessman, Mr. Christopher Enobong Jimmy.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Bassey Nkanang found Iweh guilty on three counts of murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms.
According to the prosecution, the tragic incident happened on May 23, 2021. The late Jimmy, a clearing and forwarding manager, had offered Iweh a lift along the East-West Road in Ikot Abasi. However, along the way at Oboro Junction, the soldier turned on him—shooting him dead, seizing his Toyota Matrix car, and making away with his belongings.
Further investigations revealed that Iweh, who was 39 at the time and attached to the 6 Battalion in Abak, had abandoned his duty post at the battalion’s armoury to commit the crime. He was also found to be in unlawful possession of an AK-47 rifle, which he claimed to have picked up in Borno State in 2018.
He was eventually tracked down to a guest house in Ukanafun, where police arrested him and recovered the weapon.
Justice Nkanang ruled that the prosecution had presented overwhelming evidence against the former soldier. He was therefore sentenced to death by hanging for murder, another death sentence for armed robbery, and 10 years in prison for unlawful possession of firearms.
During his plea for leniency, Iweh—who is a father of three—begged the court for what he called a “soft landing.” But the court rejected his appeal.
The victim, 42-year-old Christopher Jimmy, had been traveling from Port Harcourt to Ikot Abasi to see his family when his life was cut short. He is survived by his wife, Arit, and their children.
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