Court sentences dismissed soldier to death by hanging for brutal killing of a benefactor
A High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced a dismissed soldier, Corporal Stephen Iweh of the Nigerian Army’s 6 Battalion, Ibagwa in Abak, to death by hanging for the brutal killing of a man who had shown him kindness.
The court found Iweh guilty of murdering 42-year-old Christopher Enobong Jimmy, a Port Harcourt-based clearing and forwarding manager, who met his untimely death after offering the soldier a lift on 23 May 2021. The tragic event unfolded along the East-West Road in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, where the unsuspecting Good Samaritan became a victim of a soldier’s deadly betrayal.
According to court proceedings, Jimmy had encountered Iweh at the Trailer Park in Onne, Rivers State. Out of goodwill, he agreed to take him in his grey Toyota Matrix car to Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom. However, along the way, at Oboro Junction in Ikot Abasi, the 39-year-old soldier turned his weapon on him, shooting him dead before making away with his car and other personal belongings.
The soldier’s violent crime did not end there. Investigations by security operatives revealed that Iweh had been unlawfully in possession of an AK-47 rifle, which he admitted to keeping since 2018. He claimed to have “picked” the rifle at Dambou in Borno State during military operations and decided to retain it for his personal use. This same weapon was used in the killing of Jimmy.
Detectives eventually traced Iweh to Andy Guest House in Ukanafun, several kilometres away from the crime scene. He was arrested at the hideout, and the rifle was recovered from him. Prosecutors presented overwhelming evidence of his guilt, leading to his conviction.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Nkanang held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Iweh was convicted on a three-count charge of murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms. He was sentenced to death by hanging for murder, death by hanging for armed robbery, and 10 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms.
The court also heard emotional testimony from the victim’s widow, 34-year-old Arit Jimmy, who broke down in tears as she recalled her husband’s final day. She told the court that Jimmy had left their home in Port Harcourt to visit his sister and family in Ikot Abasi but never returned. Instead, she received the devastating news of his death, a loss that has left her and their family in deep sorrow.
The judgment has been described by legal observers as a stern message that the law will not spare anyone who takes the life of an innocent person, no matter their background or position. For Corporal Stephen Iweh, once a trained soldier entrusted with protecting lives, the gallows now await.
