After nearly a decade of legal proceedings, a High Court in Uyo has sentenced a serving police corporal and a civilian accomplice to death by hanging for the 2015 abduction of a secondary school principal in Akwa Ibom State.
Justice Nsemeke Daniel of the Akwa Ibom State High Court delivered the judgment, convicting Corporal Mbazigwe Chinedu and bus conductor Isaac Eddy Ndeesor for kidnapping Elder Akara Johnson Mendie, principal of Community Secondary School, Nkek, in Ukanafun Local Government Area.
The court heard that the victim was abducted on July 5, 2015, at about 3:30 p.m. while returning from church with his wife and family along the Urua Akpan Udosen/Ikot Una road.
According to Justice Daniel, the victim’s wife testified that four armed men in a Toyota Camry intercepted their vehicle and forcibly took her husband away.
The judge recounted that the kidnappers also seized her handbag containing personal documents, including a will, a Power of Attorney, reading glasses and a GSM phone.
The victim told the court he was blindfolded and transported to an unknown location, where his captors informed him that one of his brothers had allegedly paid them ₦50 million to kill him.
However, they offered to spare his life if ₦25 million was produced.
After several days in captivity, negotiations commenced. On July 10, 2015, a ransom of ₦200,000 was eventually paid through the victim’s younger sister, leading to his release.
He was later dropped in Bori, Rivers State, from where he reported at a police station before arrangements were made for his return to Ukanafun.
The victim’s sister, who coordinated the ransom negotiations from Bayelsa State, told the court the kidnappers repeatedly changed the drop-off location moving from Bayelsa to Rumuokoro, then to a trailer park in Ogoni, and later to a roundabout in Ikwerre.
“At the final location, three masked men on a motorcycle collected the ransom and fled.”
In his confessional statement, Corporal Mbazigwe Chinedu Friday identified himself as a native of Umucha in Abia State and a police corporal attached to Mopol 57 in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. He told investigators he joined the Nigeria Police Force in January 2007.
“He told the Police that on the day of the incident, he was contacted by one Felix (surname unknown), whom he had known from Mopol 56 in Ogoni.
“Felix allegedly introduced another individual known as ‘Different Man,’ who claimed that an unnamed ‘honourable’ wanted the victim kidnapped over allegations that the victim had killed his friend.
“Friday admitted he drove his Toyota Camry and blocked the victim’s vehicle. He stated that Felix and Isaac forcefully removed the victim and placed him inside his car.
“When the Camry developed a fault, he boarded public transport to Uyo, retrieved his Volkswagen Golf and returned to continue the operation, transporting the victim to a bush in Ogoni, Rivers State.”
In delivering judgment, Justice Daniel criticised the prolonged trial process, noting that although the case was filed in 2016, it was only concluded in 2026.
He rejected the first defendant’s claim that he was framed, describing his explanations as inconsistent and insufficient to weaken the prosecution’s case.
“How can a Police officer lead a gang of kidnappers to abduct a poor victim returning from church with his wife and family?” the judge asked.
Pronouncing the sentence, he declared: “You shall be hanged by the neck until you be dead. May God have mercy on you.”
