Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced a 28year-old- man, Ndifreke Essien Urua to death for robbing the Vice Principal, Academics of Community Secondary Commercial School, Ikot Andem Itam, in Itu Local Government Area.
It was learnt that the Vice Principal was on a duty call in the school premises when the incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. on 25 February 2017.
The convict, a native of Ikot Andem Itam, armed with a matchet robbed his victim of her handbag containing recharge cards worth N200,000, a Nokia phone and N16,000 cash.
In his confessional statement, Essien Urua said his girlfriend, one Victoria now at large informed him that a lady was sitting alone at Community Secondary Commercial School, Ikot Andem Itam and that he should go and rob her.
He said both of them immediately rushed to the school and threatened to kill the 56-year-old Vice Principal, forcing her to hand over her handbag to them.
He explained that it was at the point of selling the NOKIA phone that her girlfriend, who had escaped with other loot, was caught by youths of Ikot Andem Itam village and she spilt the beans, leading to his arrest by the Police.
The trial judge, Justice Edem Akpan in his judgement agreed “with the submission of the State that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt through the confessional statements of the accused.”
Justice Akpan found the accused guilty of armed robbery, which is contrary to Section 1 (2) of Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and convicted him accordingly.
The Court held that the accused person, Ndifreke Essien Urua, who is the last child in the family of eight, be hanged to death and prayed to God to have mercy on his soul.
Meanwhile, the condemned robber pleaded with the Court to temper justice with mercy, saying it was his first time of involved in an armed robbery operation.
By Chioma Onuegbu
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