An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Essien Udim has sentenced a 36-year-old woman, Uwakmfon Isaac Jonah, to life imprisonment for the attempted murder of a 12-year-old girl.
Justice Winifred Effiong delivered the judgment on June 25, convicting Jonah on a one-count charge of attempted murder under Section 276 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38 Vol. 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2022.
The convict, a hairdresser and divorcee from Ikot Obong in Afaha Clan, Essien Udim Local Government Area, was found guilty of luring the victim away from Urua Akpan Market on July 20, 2023, before inflicting severe injuries on her neck and eye.
According to evidence presented in court, the victim had accompanied her mother, a pepper trader, to the market and was selling fresh pepper when Jonah approached her, pretending to be a customer. She allegedly told the child that an elderly buyer wanted to purchase the pepper but could not come to the market. She also claimed her mother was cultivating waterleaf nearby and would pay for the pepper there.
Trusting the explanation, the girl followed Jonah into a nearby bush.
In a statement admitted as evidence, the victim recounted that she became uncomfortable as they moved farther from the market and tried to turn back. She said Jonah restrained her, chased her after she attempted to flee, tied her mouth with part of her clothing to stop her from screaming, and attacked her with a knife before fleeing the scene.
Jonah was arraigned on August 12, 2024, and pleaded not guilty after the charge was interpreted to her in Annang language.
During the trial, the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered statements made by both the victim and the defendant.
Testifying in her defence, Jonah admitted taking the child from the market into the bush but denied attacking her. She claimed she handed the girl over to another woman who was allegedly harvesting waterleaf nearby. However, she could not provide the woman's identity, address, or any description.
In her judgment, Justice Effiong rejected the defence as unsubstantiated and lacking credibility. The court held that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Jonah lured the victim into the bush and was responsible for the attack.
The judge said the victim's testimony was supported by independent evidence, including the injuries she sustained, Jonah's admission that she took the child into the bush, and the victim's immediate identification of the defendant while receiving treatment at Saint Mary's Hospital in Urua Akpan.
Justice Effiong further held that the nature of the injuries, particularly the deep cut to the child's neck, demonstrated an intention to kill, noting that the victim's survival did not diminish the criminal intent behind the attack.
Although defence counsel urged the court to show mercy, the judge ruled that Section 276 of the Criminal Code prescribes a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for attempted murder.
"This court lacks the jurisdiction to reduce the sentence prescribed by law," Justice Effiong said before sentencing Jonah to life imprisonment.
