Key Points:
- A Uyo high court finds Stephen Iweh guilty today. The judge says the case was proved well.
- The court says he killed Christopher Enobong Jimmy in 2021. The victim had given him a lift home.
- Sentences come for murder, armed robbery, and a gun crime. Two death orders and a ten-year jail term follow.
A court in Uyo has ruled on a grim case. A dismissed soldier, Stephen Iweh, now faces death by hanging. The court says he killed a kind driver who helped him. The crime shocked two states and two close towns.
Justice Bassey Nkanang read the long, clear judgment. He said the state proved its facts beyond doubt. The gallery heard how a road lift turned to a slaughter. Tears flowed as the court set firm punishments.
How the crime unfolded on the highway
Stephen Iweh once served as a corporal with 6 Battalion. The base sits in Ibagwa, Abak, in Akwa Ibom. On 23 May 2021, he met a kind man. They met at the Onne Trailer Park in Rivers.
The kind man was 42-year-old Christopher Enobong Jimmy. He worked as a clearing and forwarding manager. He lived and worked around Port Harcourt city. He wished to see his sister in Ikot Abasi.
He agreed to drive Iweh in his Toyota Matrix. They set off for Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom. Later on, they reached Oboro junction near the town. The trip took a dark turn at that spot.
Prosecutors say Iweh shot Jimmy dead at the junction. He then took the car and the man’s things. He fled the scene and hid his trail. The stolen car helped police track the route.
Court ruling, sentences, and recovery of the rifle
Police and troops traced him to a guest house. The lodge sits in Ukanafun in Akwa Ibom. Officers moved in and made a clean arrest. They also found the gun used for the crime.
The rifle was an AK-47, kept since 2018. Iweh claimed he took it during work in Borno. He had held the weapon for years, the court heard. The same rifle was used to kill Jimmy.
At trial, the widow Arit Jimmy told the court. She said her spouse left Port Harcourt for Ikot Abasi. He went to visit his dear sister that day. He never came back home to his family.
Justice Nkanang then gave the final court word. “The case was proved beyond doubt,” he said. The court found Iweh guilty on three counts. Murder, armed robbery, and a gun crime.
He got death by hanging for the murder count. He got death by hanging for the robbery count. He also got ten years for the gun crime. The judge signed all orders in open court.
Meanwhile, national policy news also moves fast this month. Our desk covered the Dangote refinery naira sales shift.
In addition, marketers plan fresh pump prices from Monday. See details in the report on IPMAN pump price move.
Families in court held hands as the gavel fell. Friends of the late man spoke in low tones. They praised his kind heart on that last drive. The room stayed quiet as guards led Iweh away.
