The Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced Uduak Frank Akpan to death by hanging on Thursday. In his judgement, Justice Bassey Nkanang found the accused guilty of the rape and murder of Iniubong Umoren as he said that the prosecution had proved it beyond reasonable doubt.
Uduak Akpan’s father, Frank Akpan, and his sister, Anwan Bassey, who were charged for accessory to the fact of murder last year, were discharged and acquitted. The convicted murderer attempted to escape after he was sentenced to death but was overpowered by security operatives.
In November 2021, Uduak Akpan denied making any confessional statement and knowledge of Iniubong Umoren whose body was exhumed from his father’s residence, after he had earlier pleaded guilty before Justice Bennet Ilaumoh in July 2021.
“My Lord, I do not know Miss Iniubong Umoren. I only came to know that name when I was served with the proceedings of this trial at the prison. For the second charge of rape, my Lord, I do not know anything about rape, I have never raped anybody. I pleaded guilty because I had fever on that day and my IPO’s influence in the court”, he told the court.
However, after series of court proceedings and testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, giving evidence that Uduak Akpan raped and murdered Iniubong, Justice Nkanang in his over two-hour judgement found him guilty of rape and murder.
Iniubong Umoren was a graduate of Philosophy from the University of Uyo, who was on a job hunt while awaiting NYSC mobilization. She was invited for a job interview by Uduak Frank in his residence in Nung Ikono Obio, Uruan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom state. She later went missing on April 29th, 2021.
This incident sparked a lot of social media outrage as it occurred amidst increasing rape cases in the country. The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, during a condolence visit to the family of the deceased, also promised that everyone who had a hand in the death of late Miss Iniubong will receive adequate punishment according to law.
The gruesome murder of late Miss Iniubong had left Nigerians in search for justice for the deceased and many would find relief in the death sentence of Frank Uduak to death.
It is important to note that since the return of democracy in 1999, some governors had not signed death warrants of convicted death row inmates. All eyes are now on Governor Udom Emmanuel to see how he would respond.
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