A state high court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State sentences a retired military officer who took to armed robbery alongside his accomplice to death by hanging
By Chinedu Oguh, Port Harcourt
The Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo, has sentenced a soldier and his accomplice to death by hanging for armed robbery while the third accused earlier linked to the crime was discharged and acquitted by the Court for insufficient evidence.
It was learnt that the two convicts were found guilty of robbing commercial tricycle operators popularly known as Keke Napep at gun point.
According to reports, the soldier, 41, is identified as Promise Okonkon Usoro, a dismissed Lance Corporal with the 6 Battalion, Nigerian Army Ibagwa Barracks in Abak Local Government Area and a resident of Ikot Oson. He was found guilty of robbing one Peter Daniel Okon of his tricycle along Idoro road in Uyo on February 10, 2013, armed with an AK-47 rifle.
The convict had earlier faced a court-martial over the robbery incident resulting in his dismissal from the Army before he was handed over to the Nigeria Police for prosecution.
In his confessional statement, Usoro admitted to participating in at least three armed robbery operations targeting tricycle operators in Uyo, alongside an accomplice simply identified as JJ, who is currently at large. He confessed that JJ sold one of the stolen tricycles and was given a share of N50,000 from the proceeds.
The second convict, Odinaka Emmanuel Victor, 32 years old from Osisioma Ngwa in Abia state, also confessed to robbing another victim, Anyanwa Chidi Francis on February 14, 2013 along Ikot Epene road, Uyo, while armed with an AK-47 rifle in the in the company of the convicted ex-soldier.
Odinaka revealed in his extrajudicial statement that he had been involved in tricycle snatching operations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in company of one Engr. Obuigwe.
He narrated that on February 10, 2013, he was contacted by a gang member identified as James who brought him to Uyo in a Passat car for an operation.
Odinaka disclosed that the gang picked up the soldier at the barrack and proceeded to rob a tricycle operator, but was later arrested with the stolen tricycle, while the other fled.
The duo stood trial alongside a third accused person, Ndifreke Willie Udo, a 37-year old native of Odoro Ikot in Essien Udim Council at the time of the incident.
However, delivering judgment 12 years after the crime, the trial judge, Justice Archibong Archibong ruled that the prosecution had proved the case beyond every reasonable doubt against Lance Corporal Usoro and Odinaka Victor.
However, the court discharged and acquitted the third defendant, Ndifreke Udo for lack of sufficient evidence linking him to the crime and sentenced Usoro and Odinaka to death by hanging.
In a related development, of a 27-year old suspected kidnapper identified as John Akpan from Ikot Umiang Village in Mkpat Enin Council has been shot dead by operatives of the state police command while planning kidnapping operations in the area.
In a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Timfon John, in Uyo, the suspect was killed in a gun battle with the operatives while the criminal gang fled into the bush.
John said the command received intelligence on August 2, 2025 about 4:00 pm, indicating that suspected criminal gangs were hibernating at a hideout in Ikot Umiang Village, planning further kidnappings.
She stated that the surveillance team was immediately dispatched to the scene and upon noticing the arrival of members of the team, the criminals engaged them in a fire exchange, which resulted in the death of the suspect.
She stated however, that no Police personnel were injured during the exchange, which also led to the recovery of a locally made pistol, one live cartridge and one expanded cartridge.
Also based on intelligence reports, the Police revealed that its men and officers had been closely monitoring a group of kidnappers who had returned to the Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
Reports indicate that the gang had been terrorizing residents from 2020 to 2023, just as the notorious gang was also alleged to be responsible for the kidnap of a church founder in 2023. Since the incident, the suspects had been at large.
In the same vein, another operation by the operatives of the command foiled an armed robbery attempt at the Annex B Estate in Ikot Aton Village where three suspected armed robbers reportedly stormed a residential lodge.
It was learnt that the suspected robbers opened fire when police operatives arrived the scene, prompting an intense gun duel in which one of the armed robbers was neutralized during the exchange of gun fire, while the other two escaped with bullet wounds.
