After 11 years of prosecution led by the Ministry of Justice, the High Court of Akwa Ibom State has sentenced one Michael Effiong Japhet, an armed robber and rapist, who disguised as a commercial motorcycle operator in Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) and its environs.
According to the particulars of the convict, stood trial for a bizarre incident which occurred on February 23, 2015.
He was found guilty of raping his victim, a nursing mother at knife -point, seizing her phone after the act.
The victim, a fruit seller at the popular Ekom Iman Junction on the outskirts of Uyo, the State capital, the case file recalled, was a lone passenger of the motorcycle she hired to drop her at home with her wares, but the convict veered off to an isolated community of Ikot Ofon, Ikono Clan, in Uyo, where he overpowered and raped the woman, despite repeated pleas of being a nursing mother.
“Rather than followed the agreed route, the convict diverted to Ikot Nsung, Ikono, drove into a bush path and falsely claimed that his motorcycle had run out of fuel.
“He forcefully collected the victim’s purse containing the day’s sales of N7,000, and a China Nokia phone before threatening her with a knife and demanding that she undress.
“Despite her pleas that she was married and a nursing mother, the convict raped her at knife-point before fleeing with his motorcycle.,” the file stated.
And by divine intervention, the case file recalled that the following morning after the incident, the woman, while on her way to Ekom Iman Junction to resume her fruit business, she spotted the convict and alerted her husband., who immediately alerted the Police to effect his arrest and subsequent recovery of the stolen phone.
Consequently, Japhet was convicted and sentenced by Hon. Justice Archibong Archibong, who found him guilty of rape and stealing punishable under the Criminal Code Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2000.
Therefore, in a judgment that lasted about one hour, Justice Archibong Archibong, sentenced Japhet to life imprisonment for rape, and three years’ imprisonment for stealing, holding that the degree of punishment was arrived at after the prosecution has proven its case beyond all reasonable doubts.
