The Akwa Ibom state High Court has sentenced Uduak Akpan to death by hanging after being found guilty of the murder of Iniubong Umoren.
The presiding judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, said the convict was found guilty of rape and murder and sentenced to be hung on the neck till he dies.
The late Iniubong Umoren, a graduate of Philosophy, University of Uyo, (UNIUYO) was allegedly raped, murdered and buried in a shallow grave in April 2021.
Uduak-Abasi Akpan had reportedly lured his victim, who was 26 years old, to his family residence at Nung Ikono Obio village in Uruan local government area with a job offer where he had allegedly raped, murdered, and buried her in a shallow grave within the premises.
The body was later exhumed from the shallow grave by the Police team, who were guided by the prime suspect.
Recall that remains of late Iniubong Umoren was interred in her hometown at Nung Ita Ikot Essien of Oruk Anam local government area of Akwa Ibom State, on May 14, 2021, after a postmortem carried out by the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH).
Uduak-Abasi Akpan, his father Mr. Frank Akpan, and sister Anwan-Bassey, Akpan,
were charged on a four count-charge brought against them by Akwa Ibom state government.
The trio have been remanded in the Correctional centre Uyo, as the Court had denied their bail application.
Uduak-Abasi Akpan was arraigned on two count charge of rape and murder, while both his father (second defendant) Frank Akpan, and sister Anwan-Bassey Akpan(third defendant) were charged for accessory after-the-fact to murder respectively.
Uduak-Abasi and his father were first arraigned before the State High Court4 presided over by Justice Bennett Illaumo in July 2021, where he had pleaded guilty to murder charge, but not guilty to charge of rape.
