A Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar has sentenced a 33-year-old man, Okon Effiong, to death after finding him guilty of aggravated assault, rape and armed robbery.
Justice Blessing Egwu delivered the judgment on Monday, ruling that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
According to court findings, Effiong and four accomplices carried out an armed robbery on April 27, 2024, along Mount Zion Street in Calabar South Local Government Area, during which a woman and two children were gang-raped and valuables were stolen.
Effiong was arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Cross River State Police Command alongside one of his accomplices, who later died in custody. The remaining suspects are reportedly still at large.
In passing sentence, Justice Egwu held that the gravity of the offences and the evidence presented warranted the maximum punishment under the law.
Reacting to the verdict, James Ibor of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, who monitored the trial, said the death sentence was imposed despite advocacy campaigns, stressing that the court acted strictly within the law.
Effiong, who spoke briefly after the judgment, expressed remorse and described the sentence as excessive. His counsel, Bassey Otop of the Centre for Citizens’ Rights and the Office of the Public Defender, said an appeal would be filed.
One of the victims, who requested anonymity, said the judgment brought some relief, though the trauma remains. She commended the prosecution for its diligence and urged security agencies to arrest the remaining suspects.
