Dismissed Soldier Sentenced to Death by Hanging for Killing Businessman Who Gave Him a Ride

Akwa Ibom State High Court in Uyo has sentenced a dismissed soldier, Corporal Stephen Iweh, to death by hanging for the murder of a Port Harcourt-based businessman, Christopher Enobong Jimmy. The judgment, delivered on Friday by Justice Bassey Nkanang, found Iweh guilty of murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms.

The incident occurred on May 23, 2021, along the East-West Road in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area. Jimmy, who was the manager of a clearing and forwarding company in Port Harcourt, had offered Iweh a lift from Onne, Rivers State, to Ikot Abasi. During the journey, at Oboro Junction, the 39-year-old soldier shot the 42-year-old businessman and fled with his Toyota Matrix and other valuables.

Court records showed that Iweh, a father of three who enlisted in the Army in 2002, was supposed to be on duty at 6 Battalion, Ibagwa, Abak, on the day of the crime but abandoned his post. Investigators later discovered that he had illegally kept an AK-47 rifle he claimed to have picked up in Borno State in 2018. He was eventually tracked down and arrested at Andy Guest House in Ukanafun, where the weapon was recovered.

The court ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, convicting Iweh on three counts. He was sentenced to death by hanging for murder, death by hanging for armed robbery, and 10 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms. His plea for leniency was rejected.

Jimmy is survived by his 34-year-old widow, Arit, who recalled that her husband had left Port Harcourt to visit his sister in Ikot Abasi but never returned.