Murderer of Akwa Ibom job seeker, Iniubong Umoren, sentenced to death

Justice Bassey Nkanang of a High Court in Akwa Ibom State has sentenced Uduak Frank Akpan, murderer of a job seeker, Iniubong Umoren, to death. Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Nkanang ruled that the convict would die by hanging. He, however, discharged and acquitted the second accused, Frank Akpan, (father of the convict) and third accused, Bassey Anwan (sister of the convict).

Justice Nkanang sentenced Akpan to life imprisonment for the case of rape, and death by hanging for the case of murder. The judge held, “The defendant, Uduak Frank, Akpan confessed that “I first used condom to have sex with Iniubong Umoren and later removed the condom because I did not enjoy the sex.

“She became infuriated and I reached out to a stabilizer and a box iron and used it to hit her abdominal part and started to bled. I hit her again and she screamed. I used her jean trousers and strangled her and she became lifeless”.

The deceased, Miss Umoren, a 26 year-old graduate of Philosophy from the University of Uyo, and an indigene of Nung Ita Ikot Essien, Oruk Anam local government area, was raped, murdered and buried in a shallow grave by the convict.

It was gathered that Uduak Akpan lured the deceased to his family residence at Nung Ikono Obio village in Uruan local government area for a job interview in April 2021, where she was killed. Umoren was an orphan awaiting her call-up to the mandatory National Youth Service programme before she was murdered. While in court, the convict tried to escape but was caught