An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced 29-year-old Akaninyene Thomas Okpon to death by hanging for murdering his elder brother, Friday Thomas Enyenokpon.
Akaninyene had accused his elder brother of being the witch behind his life’s misfortunes which led to his murdering him in 2018 in Ikot Abasi Asutan, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of the state.
Akan is reportedly a father of three children, and his other brother, 37-year-old late Ime Thomas Okpon, who was co-accused of conspiring with Akan to kill their eldest brother.
However, Ime died in custody before the conclusion of the trial.
According to the report, Akan and Ime had laid in ambush against their eldest blood brother, who had gone to check his hunting traps. They beheaded him and buried the head separately in the bush.
The case numbered Suit No. HU/5C/2019, was concluded in Uyo on Thursday, under Justice Okon Okon, who found that the prosecution had established its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Aligning that with the defendant’s confessional statement and corroborating evidence, justice Okon the defendant, a primary three dropout, had earlier issued threats to eliminate the deceased and others in their family.
He later led the police to the crime scene where the buried decayed remains of the deceased were recovered.
“The sentence of the Court upon you, Akaninyere Thomas Okpon, is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead,” Justice Okon declared.
He also ordered that the murder weapons: two machetes marked as Exhibits 1–1A be forfeited to the State.
