The Akwa Ibom State High Court in Okoita, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, sentenced Kingsley Etim Eyo, 34, to 10 years in prison on Monday for kidnapping his six-year-old cousin Goodnews Essien.
It was discovered that Eyo, a resident of the neighborhood of Ikot Otoinyie in the Uruan Local Government Area, plotted with a buddy to abduct and sell the boy in 2018. It wasn’t until today that the 6-year-old was located.
The victim was taken from his mother’s care, according to the presiding judge, Justice Okon Okon, when she sent him to buy garri at Ikot Otoinyie Village, Uruan.
The prosecution team from the State Ministry of Justice, led by Barrister Comfort Udo, an assistant director of prosecution, called three witnesses during the full trial, which began earlier after the defendant entered a not guilty plea to the charge.
Four further exhibits were provided by the prosecution, including the Police Investigation Report from September 20, 2018, and the convict’s confessional confessions, in which he acknowledged that his share of the proceeds from the trafficking of the child was N80,000.
Part of the confessional statement read:
“The money that we sold Goodnews [for] is with Joshua. My percentage of that money is N80,000. Yes, myself, Denis Joshua went to a native doctor, Cletus from Ikot Akpa Ekong village in Uruan Local Government Area to do charm in order to hide it from people.”
Delivering his judgment, Justice Okon said: “I have thoroughly and meticulously read and reflected on the entirety of the extrajudicial statements of the defendant and have appraised, scrutinised and evaluated same with the evidence of prosecution witnesses and I can infer that the defendant worked in close collaboration with his friends and cohorts in taking away Goodnews Kufre Essien from the custody of his mother, the PW1.
“I have also taken into consideration the relationship of the defendant with PW1 (his aunt) and the child victim in this case. The defendant betrayed and compromised his close relationship with PW1 and her abducted child who according to the defendant calls him “Uncle.”
The judge said:
“The prosecution has, beyond reasonable doubt, proved the guilt of the defendant for child abduction as charged and I, therefore, find the defendant guilty. The defendant, Kingsley Etim Eyo is sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.”
