Native doctor bags death sentence for kidnapping cleric, brother in Akwa Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo on Friday sentenced a native doctor, Sunday George Andrew, alias Sunday Akpan Adede, to death by hanging for kidnapping one Pastor Bassey Utit and his brother, Chief Israel Efefiong Utit.

It was learnt that the native doctor who hails from Ikono local government area is said to have conspired with others to commit the offence at Nkemba Street, Uyo on November 29, 2015, and harboured the victims in his shrine at Ikot Enua, Ikono, demanding N50 million as ransom.

The convicted native doctor was standing trial with the first defendant, Ibe Francis Emeka, on a six-count charge for conspiracy, kidnapping and armed robbery in which he was found guilty, while the court discharged and acquitted Emeka over failure of the prosecution to prove the ingredients of kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy against him.

Emeka, a native of Abia state, said he was invited to Uyo by his friend, “Papa” only to be taken to a drinking joint at Nkemba Street in company of one Ukeme Amos alias “Bishop,” the leader of the gang and Jude Ihemekwa alias “Method,” who is currently undergoing trial for another kidnapping case in Uyo.

He said while at Nkemba Street, the gang saw a black Toyota Corolla car and double- crossed it and “Bishop” and “Papa” dragged the two brothers out of their car to another car and instructed him to go to the front seat while “Bishop” and the victims were kept at the back of the car and “Papa” took the victims’ car away.

In a one-hour judgement on Friday, the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Ette, described Ibe Francis Emeka as “an innocent man and a victim who happened to be in the company of wrong guys in the wrong place and at the wrong time by inadvertence,” adding that “the only difference between him and the other victims was that no ransom was placed on his head.”

“He was, like the main victims, put in the same room with them, that piece of evidence was not debunked. He was precluded from leaving the camp; hence his decision to escape with the victims. If he was a kidnapper, his access and exit would not have been restricted or curtailed as shown in evidence. The real kidnappers left the camp; he was not allowed the freedom of movement. That is why I see him as an innocent victim too,” Justice Ette held.