The Akwa Ibom State High Court presided over by Justice Augustine Odokwo has sentenced a man, Ekerete Ukpong, to death for kidnapping a four-year-old boy.
The 31-year-old, who hailed from Udok Atai community, in the Ikono Local Government Area, was sentenced on Thursday by the court sitting in the Ikot Ekpene LGA of the state.
Delivering judgement which lasted for about one hour, Justice Odokwo said the court found the convict guilty of kidnapping, punishable by death under Section 1 of the Akwa Ibom State Internal Security and Enforcement Law 2009, according to a report by The Punch.
Justice Odokwo held that the prosecuting counsel notified the court that the victim, Success Kalu, a native of Ohafia in Abia State, was kidnapped on September 25, 2015, at Ibiakpan Akananwan, Ikot Ekpene, had yet to be found.
He said the kidnapping was prevalent in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, and Nigeria at large, hence all hands must be on deck to rid society of the menace, which he noted: “has assumed a hydra-headed dimension.”
READ ALSO:
Killer of Akwa Ibom job seeker pleads guilty to murder
The court held that “the convict is taking the punishment alone although records show that he acted in consent with others, who are now at large. I have given due consideration to the plea for mercy and forgiveness by the convict and his learned counsel.”
“The judgement should send a clear signal to all and sundry that the full weight of the law will descend on kidnappers.
