An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced 29-year-old Akaninyene Thomas Okpon to death by hanging for the brutal murder of his elder brother, whom he accused of witchcraft and being responsible for his misfortunes.
Join our WhatsApp community
The killing took place on April 8, 2018, in Ikot Abasi Asutan, located in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area. Akaninyene, a father of three, along with his now-deceased brother, 37-year-old Ime Thomas Okpon, ambushed their elder sibling, Friday Thomas Enyenokpon, in a bush known as “Usung Atan” farmland, where he had gone to check his hunting traps.
The court heard how the two brothers attacked the victim with machetes, beheaded him, and buried his head separately, an act that deeply shocked the local community. Ime Thomas, a co-defendant in the case, died in custody before the trial concluded.
Delivering judgment in Suit No. HU/5C/2019, Justice Okon Okon ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, citing the defendant’s confessional statement and corroborating evidence.
The court in Akwa Ibom also noted that Akaninyene, a primary school dropout, had previously threatened to kill the deceased and other family members, and later led police investigators to the site where the body was buried.
In his judgement, Justice Okon declared, “The sentence of the Court upon you, AKANINYENE THOMAS OKPON, is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead.”
The Court in Akwa Ibom also ordered the forfeiture of the murder weapons: two machetes marked as Exhibits 1–1A to the state.
Join our WhatsApp community
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
