Metro

Man, 31, bags death sentence for armed robbery, life jail for rape in Akwa Ibom

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3 years ago

Justice Augustine Odokwo, presiding over the Ikot Ekpene Division of Akwa Ibom State High Court, has sentenced a 31-year-old man, Nsikak Joseph Udofia to death for armed robbery and life imprisonment for rape.

The convict, a native of Utu Edem Usung in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, was convicted at the weekend by Justice Odokwo having found him guilty in the two separate charges of armed robbery and rape.

Udofia, a Secondary school dropout, and others now at large were said to have “robbed a shoe mender, one Gabriel Akpan Victor, of his petty valuables including torchlight, two knives, a roll of black thread, two pairs of sandals and N2,350 cash, while returning home from work on 31st December 2017.”

“Three weeks after, the convict, according to the prosecutor, also raped a 16-year-old Senior Secondary Two student in an uncompleted building in Utu Edem Usung community in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area on January 21, 2018.

However, in a two-hour judgement at the weekend, the trial judge, Justice Odokwo found the accused guilty of the two-count charge, punishable under Section 1, (1) of the Robbery and Firearms Special Provisions Act, Laws of the Federation and Sections 3, 6 and 7, of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2000.

The Court held that the prosecution has proved the matter beyond every reasonable doubt that the accused person committed the offences.

In the first count charge of robbery, Justice Odokwo sentenced Nsikak Joseph Udofia to death by hanging, praying to God to have mercy on his soul.

In the second count charge of rape, the Court held that “Nsikak Joseph Udofia shall serve a life sentence in Ikot Ekpene Correctional Centre”.

Justice Odokwo held that “the sentence is to run concurrently as the offence of rape is prevalent in Ikot Ekpene.”

He ordered the Clerk of the Court to “keep in your safe custody, all the exhibits pending appeal, if any, and return them to the parties that tendered the exhibits if, after the period allowed for appeal, no notice of appeal is filed”.

The convict, who wept uncontrollably in the courtroom, however, begged the Judge to temper justice with mercy, lamenting that the Judge should spare a youth with a promise to turn a new leaf.

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