Akwa Ibom Court Orders Death Penalty for Man Who Murdered Uncle Over Witchcraft Claims

The Akwa Ibom State High Court, with its sitting in Eket, has handed down a death sentence to Edinyanga Samuel Akpan, aged 27, for unlawfully killing his uncle, Kufre Godwin Eno. The conviction stemmed from allegations of witchcraft made against the deceased.

Presiding over the case on Wednesday, April 12, 2026, Justice Pius Idiong found the accused guilty of a single charge of murder.

The fatal incident took place on the evening of Monday, December 4, 2017, in the Ikot Inyang community of Okon, within the Eket Local Government Area.

Reports indicate that during an altercation, the convicted man inflicted a stab wound to his uncle's chest using a knife.

Following the attack, the victim was transported to Emmanuel General Hospital in Eket, where medical professionals later pronounced him deceased.

Edinyanga, a resident of Ikot Obioro in Eket and an individual who left primary school, initially maintained his innocence throughout the trial proceedings.

However, on the day the judgment was delivered, he appealed for leniency and expressed remorse for his actions.

After a thorough examination of all presented evidence, the court concluded that the defendant's actions were deliberate and constituted an illegal act.

Justice Idiong highlighted that his judicial hands were bound by law, explaining that murder is a capital offense, and the legislation provided no provision for a lesser sentence in such cases.

In delivering the sentence of death by hanging, the judge offered a prayer for divine mercy upon the soul of the condemned man.

This verdict marks the conclusion of a legal battle that had spanned nine years in the court system.

The prosecution was handled by the State Ministry of Justice, with U. F. Effiong, Esq., serving as the Assistant Chief State Counsel. The defense was led by Victor Udeh, Esq.

The case was initially managed by Justice Nsemeke Daniel, subsequently transferred to Justice Ezekiel Enang, and then recommenced from the beginning before Justice Pius Idiong.